biodiversity life

The construction and operation of power plants affect different populations of birds, mammals and fish and plant species in the region in question. Dams can reduce biodiversity by making spawning grayed certain fish species. Nesting, grazing and shelter along the rivers and streams may be lost temporarily or permanently. Large tanks can block the path of traditional animal migration along rivers or between the banks.

biodiversity park

All these changes affect the habitat of some species. But in some cases, power plants and hydroelectric reservoirs can have a positive effect on wildlife habitat and benefit fish populations, particularly species attracted to water flow slower. They can also provide resting and feeding geese and other waterfowl and migratory birds. Reservoirs can extend the shoreline of a lake or river, increasing the wildlife habitat for some species. Studies by industry showed that in winter, some animals such as caribou are attracted to the reservoirs of Northern Quebec, where he found food on the shores and islands.

biodiversity system

What is the industry?

During the early years of development, hydropower projects alter wildlife habitat. Operators are working to mitigate these impacts by planning and managing a conscientious plant operations. For example, in Quebec, some hydroelectric dams are built on sites where migrating fish can access the river.

ocean biodiversity

Moreover, the industry adopted some measures to protect wildlife habitat, including:

by installing fish ladders
by re-spawning fish
by seeding water bodies
planting trees and grasses along the shoreline
by developing wildlife areas near the tank

To better understand the impact of industry on wildlife and wildlife habitat, hydroelectric companies are funding research projects from government and environmental organizations on this topic.

dam construction area

The construction and operation of power plants have highly visible effects on the land. We must cut down trees and build roads, which helps make the site more accessible to humans and promotes hunting in areas where wildlife habitat is very fragile.

dam construction

Dam construction usually leads to loss of forested areas and areas of wildlife habitat. The area disturbed or covered varies by project type and scope.

build dam construction

The first phase of James Bay, Quebec, is one of the largest hydroelectric systems ever built in Canada. Tanks, which required major diversions of water, cover an area equivalent to three times the Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island. This project reached some 10 000 Aboriginal people.

What is the industry?

dam construction power

The industry strives to control the impacts of its activities in planning and managing conscientiously operation of its facilities. In collaboration with regulators, operators evaluate the hydroelectric potential impacts of new projects on the environment, especially regarding land use and wildlife reserves, and working out various scenarios. They also consult with local communities to find ways to protect the environment, to ensure access to hunting areas, fishing and trapping and preserving important cultural and recreational resources.

dam construction progress

Subsequently, the companies continuing to operate by studying the environmental effects of their project, including changes in wildlife and its habitat. If the effects are impossible to avoid, sometimes companies restore land disturbed by planting trees and other vegetation.

Mercury Pollution

Mercury is a toxic substance whose presence in the environment is due to natural processes (such as volcanic eruptions, ocean steamships and degradation of soils and rocks) or in industrial activities (such as metal smelting, waste incineration and power plants fueled by coal).

What is the impact of the industry?

Mercury Pollution Dangerous

Found abnormal levels of mercury in fish from new hydraulic tanks. This mercury comes from the flooding of soils and rocks that contain mercury in its natural state, but the flood of topsoil where the mercury is due to air emissions from industrial activities.

Mercury Pollution Research

The creation of reservoirs has the effect of releasing mercury stored in soils and rocks.

Prevent Mercury Pollution

Subsequently, the bacteria convert the toxic mercury in a relatively inert biologically more active form (methylmercury) that enters the food chain and accumulates particularly in the fatty tissue of predatory fish (such as northern pike, walleye and trout).

Mercury Pollution Warning

What is the industry?

Mercury Scheme

Control measures and mitigation have been well-defined implemented to avoid harmful accumulations of mercury. Utilities and governments are conducting research on mercury for many years. Recent studies have focused on controlling the mercury content in fish tanks, the effect of water flow on this level as well as mitigation measures for new tanks. Industry and government studies have shown that over time, Flood plant has a less significant mercury content, which gradually returned to levels similar to those observed in fish in natural lakes nearby. This decrease was observed after 10 to 30 years depending on the species.

Power Generation

As we know, the power can be obtained from the multiplication between the voltage and current flows. In the case where the AC system voltage and current sinusoidal form, the multiplication will produce a visible power (apparent power). The units of volt-ampere (VA) which have two parts. The first part is the power utilized by consumers, could be movement on the bike, it could be hot on the heating element, etc., untapped power that is often referred to as active power (real power) has units of watt (W) which flows from the source side to side the average load value is not zero. The second part is the power that is not utilized by the consumer, but only in the network, power is often referred to as reactive power (reactive power) has units of volt-ampere-reactive (VAR) is worth an average of zero. For this discussion, the reactive power flow direction is not discussed at this time. The load is resistive only active power consumption; load is inductive only consume reactive power, and the load is capacitive only provide reactive power.

Both providers and consumers trying to make the network have a good power factor. For service providers, network with poor power factor should result in greater power to meet the active power demanded by consumers. If the consumer is dominated by the type of residential consumers then they only pay the amount of active power used, means that service providers should bear its own costs to be only reactive power without any compensation money from consumers. In contrast to large-scale consumers or industry, a good power factor is a must because some service providers sometimes charge the power consumption of active and reactive power (or provide a power factor penalty) of course the consumer will not want to pay top dollar for power that is “not utilized” for them. Contact Generac Generators to get more information about power system information and products, their experts will help you to assist in any term to obtain the most efficient and reliable system for your needs with affordable price and discount. You can also find that they provider power generation training.

Operating Rules

Electricity Hydropower Ecosystem

Hydropower operators use a set of internal rules of operation and information (a system of environmental management) to reduce the effects of their daily activities on fish and their habitat. In addition, they identify and study the effects of their activities on fish throughout their systems and are seeking solutions to address them.

Fishways
Hydroelectric plants have facilities to permit fish to move around or over a dam, or through it. For example, use of fish ladders (a series of pools arranged in tiers that allow fish to make their way upstream from a dam), fishways (tracks circulating the fish on top of dam) and grids that repel fish turbines, spillways and conduits.

Fish ladders help salmon and other migratory fish to move upstream dams to reach their spawning grounds.
Fish ladders along the Fraser River

Fish Hydropower Ecosystem

Flow Management
Hydropower operators prevent the destruction of fish spawning habitat by controlling the period and the volume of water flows from hydroelectric facilities.

Hydropower Ecosystem

Stocking programs
In tanks, low flow water sometimes stores nutrients that are essential to the survival of fish downstream. In these cases, hydroelectric operators have sometimes resorted to stocking programs to maintain food production and healthy fish populations.

Hydropower Operator

Pollution Prevention
Companies are adopting new practices that enhance the activities of hydroelectric generation while mitigating environmental effects. For example, it is possible to replace conventional methods of lubrication used in plants to prevent discharges of grease into the environment.

Hydropower Operator Concept

Habitat improvement
Where dams affect flows and fish habitat, the industry invests in projects to restore the aquatic environment – for example by repopulating the rivers and lakes, redeveloping areas spawning and planting trees and vegetation along the shoreline.

Research and monitoring
Industry funds research activities of governments and environmental organizations to better know the local fish species and effects of hydroelectric operations on the aquatic environment. The subjects of these studies are varied, including such fish productivity, the amount of mercury in fish, the design of turbines safer for them as well as programs to restore the river ecosystem in good condition.

Collaboration with stakeholders
The industry works closely with governments to develop strategies and policies to protect fish habitat and aquatic species. In 2002, for example, the Canadian Electricity Association has an agreement with Fisheries and Oceans Canada to work together on initiatives to better protect fish and fish habitat in the activities of electricity generation Canada.

• change the flow of water
• prevent fish migration
• disrupt fish habitat
• cause erosion of stream beds

Water to Produce Electricity Process

But all the effects are not necessarily harmful. For example, the reservoirs provide habitat for fish lakes, as well as nesting areas and food for migratory birds and waterfowl. They can also utilliser recreationally.

Fish habitat and aquatic species

Water to Produce Electricity

It is increasingly important for Canadians to protect fish habitat and aquatic species, particularly along the east and west coasts of the country where fish resources have diminished or disappeared. Inland, the protection of fish and their habitat at the local level is also an issue increasingly important as many human activities disrupt regional ecosystems, including rivers and streams. With respect to hydropower generation, construction of dams and flow changes can affect the habitat of certain fish and certain aquatic species.

What is the impact of the industry?

Hydroelectric facilities affecting fish and river ecosystems in different ways:

Water to Produce Electricity Plant

Dams can prevent salmon and other migratory fish to reach spawning areas upstream and growth fish can injure themselves if they are attracted to water intakes or turbines dams raise and lower the water level depending on the demand for electricity. These fluctuations differ from natural fluctuations that are observed in rivers and lakes, which can have damaging effects: the lower flows can lead to destruction of fish habitat, while the flow rates can prevent the migration or spawning fish. Wetlands are also sensitive to changes as they depend on seasonal flow, as flood waters in spring, to maintain the balance of their ecosystems.

Water to Produce Electricity Resources

Dams can change the temperature and chemical balance in rivers and streams. For example, when the flow is slowed by a dam, water cooler, denser and low oxygen is at the bottom. If the water used for electricity production comes from the bottom, the water low in oxygen may have the effect of disrupting downstream habitats.

Water to Produce Electricity Scheme

In some cases, dams have benefits for fish. Since water remains longer in reservoirs, it becomes rich in zooplankton, a species derived from the decomposition of organic matter. Waters lower rate also attract fish such as trout lakes. The tanks may have a stabilizing effect on river flows, even when the summers are particularly dry.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Classification

Greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide, methane and water vapor contribute to the greenhouse effect, a natural phenomenon that traps heat in the atmosphere. These gases are naturally occurring (volcanoes, cloud cover and ocean currents) or from human activity (burning fossil fuels and construction of reservoirs).

What’s the issue?

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Diagram

Hydroelectric plants produce opposite effects on emissions of greenhouse gases. Constituting an alternative to electricity produced by fossil fuels, hydroelectricity contributes to reduce global emissions of Canada.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Scheme

However, as the natural waterways, reservoirs emit greenhouse gases. Indeed, when a tank is filled and the vegetation is submerged, the decomposition of this plant material can produce methane and carbon dioxide.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Effect

What is the impact of the industry?

The Canadian Hydropower Association estimates that in Canada, hydropower generates about 15,000 tons (or less) of substances equivalent carbon dioxide per gigawatt-hour of electricity.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Resources

What is the industry?

Although emissions of greenhouse gas tanks are low compared to other energy sources, industry conducts research to better understand the origin of emissions and to find solutions for them. One solution being implemented is to remove vegetation from an area before flooding.

Hydropower Production

Whether in offices, farms or industries, electricity ensures the functioning of our computers, our phones and our equipment. At home, it powers our appliances, our heating systems and our entertainment equipment. Electricity has many advantages, but its production and distribution have an impact on the environment and health.

Water to kilowatts

Hydropower generation starts with an energy source: water. The power plant uses the energy of moving water that turns turbines to generate electricity. Subsequently, the pylons carry large amounts of electric power plant to the distribution networks. Large transformers raise the voltage to deliver electricity efficiently over long distances. When electricity nears its destination, the voltage is reduced to different substations. Finally, the distribution networks carry electricity where consumers need it: the houses, industries and farms.

Hydropower Dam

The hydroelectric facilities have many advantages: an abundant and affordable supply of electricity (accounting for about 60 percent of the total production capacity of Canada), low emissions of greenhouse gases (no other air pollutants) and the possibility of ‘storing water for multiple uses such as irrigation, recreation, energy production and supply of homes and industries.

Hydropower Project

However, as for the extraction of any natural resource, the use of water to produce electricity has an impact on the environment, wildlife and humans.

The construction of large dams leads to flooding and destruction of forest areas and wildlife habitats. Water can also be contaminated with heavy metals like mercury. In addition, facilities and hydroelectric dams affect the flow of rivers and streams, which can have adverse effects on fish habitat and aquatic species, as well as communities that use waterways.

As most of Canada’s hydropower is generated by large projects, this section focuses on the environmental effects of hydropower that use large reservoirs. Some information on small hydro will also be provided.

Hydropower Resources

Key potential impacts on the environment
Effect
Air
Greenhouse gas emissions from reservoirs
Water
Disruption of fish habitat and aquatic species
Mercury contamination
Ground
Soil disturbance during construction
Flooding
Biodiversity
Disturbance of wildlife and its habitat

Hydropower Scheme

Hydropower Generation

This section addresses the environmental impacts of electricity generation from water and measures taken by industry and governments to mitigate these effects. Documents offer an overview of government regulation, planning of water management, the evolution of industry relations with the United Nations and the various impacts of large hydroelectric projects and small scale. Brief case studies are also presented to highlight events, activities or relevant research.

oil Sands and Heavy Oil Activity

Technically, the crude oil is composed of pentanes (hydrocarbon chains composed of five carbon atoms and twelve carbon atoms), and heavier hydrocarbons (hydrocarbon chains composed of more than five carbon atoms ). It may also contain other elements such as water, natural gas, sulfur or other minerals.

Conventional crude oil is the oil that flows naturally or that can pumped without hearth hearth heated or diluted. Crude oil is classified as light, medium, heavy or extra heavy, referring to its gravity as measured on the scale of the American Petroleum Institute (API). API gravity is measured in degrees and is calculated using the formula API Gravity = (141.5 / SG) – 131.5 as shown in the table.

oil Sands and Heavy Oil Chart

The industry defines as light crude oil with an API gravity greater than 31.1 ° (less than 870 kilograms per cubic meter), the average density of crude oil as having an API gravity ranging from 31.1 to 22.3 ° ° (or 870 to 920 kg per cubic meter), and heavy oil as having an API gravity of between 22.3 ° and 10 ° (or 920 to 1000 kilograms per cubic meter). As for extra-heavy oil (bitumen), its API gravity is less than 10 ° (greater than 1000 kilograms per cubic meter). Only two classifications exist regarding the Canadian government: light oil whose density is less than 900 kilograms per cubic meter (or an API gravity greater than 25.7 ° API) and heavy oil whose density is over 900 kg per cubic meter (or an API gravity below 25.7 °).

oil Sands and Heavy Oil Process

Less formally, the heavy oil is defined as a hearth oil “not recoverable in its natural state through a well and conventional production methods.” However, sometimes a heavy oil API gravity below 22.3 ° flows very slowly, but mostly, it is heated or diluted hearth to allow it to flow into a well or pipeline . API gravity heavy oil from the Lloydminster area, Alberta and Saskatchewan, between 9 ° and 18 °. Heavy oil accounts for about 15 percent of current global oil reserves. It usually contains impurities such as sulfur, heavy metals, paraffin and carbon residue. These substances are filtered hearth prior to refining.

oil Sands and Heavy Oil Resources

The definition of heavy oil applies especially to the bitumen, which is described as oil “which does not flow or can pumped without hearth hearth heated or diluted.” Of bitumen from oil sands deposits of the Athabasca region, Alberta, Canada, is an API gravity of around 8 °, but is valued in order to achieve a density ranging from 31 ° to 33 °. The upgraded oil produced by this process is called “synthetic oil”.

oil Sands and Heavy Oil Scheme

Oil sands are a mixture of sand, water, clay and crude bitumen. Each grain of sand contains three layers: a layer of water surrounding a grain of sand, bitumen and a film that surrounds the water layer.

Geothermal Energy Diagram

The geothermal energy comes from the core of the Earth, the temperature of which is valued at approximately 5000 ° C, a temperature almost as high as that of the surface of the sun. Scientists believe that the core is cooled by only a few hundred degrees in 4.5 billion years since the formation of our planet. The relative constancy of this temperature is due to the decay of radioactive elements which constantly releases energy, but also to the isolation of the core which is particularly effective.

Geothermal Energy Earth

Around the core lies a thick layer of rock called the mantle ductile. (Ductile means “may be distorted or stretched without breaking.”) The upper mantle generates molten rock (magma) which rises to the surface to form volcanoes. Earth’s crust lies above the ductile mantle.

Geothermal Energy Manufacturing

The solid crust is a major headache of contiguous sections called tectonic plates, of a thickness of about 35 km under the continents but only an average of 7 kilometers below the seabed. In places where the crust is thin or fractured, as at the ends of tectonic plates, the heat emanating from the depths of the earth can be an important source of energy. Volcanoes, geysers and hot springs are the results of this energy that rises to the surface, directly or indirectly.

Geothermal Energy Plant

The average temperature of the crust increases from 10 to 30 ° C for each kilometer of depth. The rate of increase, called geothermal gradient varies considerably from one region to another.

Geothermal Energy Resources

For example, it is very low in the Canadian Shield, but much higher beneath the ocean floor. In Nova Scotia, the geothermal gradient is about 15 ° C per kilometer of depth, but in some mines coal immersed in the province, water is a temperature of 21 ° C only 50 meters from the surface because it comes from deeper areas.

Geothermal Energy Scheme

Temperatures around 250 ° C were recorded at only two kilometers deep in a volcanic center of British Columbia.