Identification of potential locations for small hydropower plant based on resources time footprint: A case study in Dan River Basin, China

Abstract

mall hydropower has attracted extensive interest as a clean technology. This study first identified possible sites of small hydropower plants with estimated capacity, and then utilized resources time footprint as a novel way to evaluate the impact of small hydropower plants on the aspects of materials, CO2, labor, and land. Resources time footprint is a sustainability indicator that uses a uniform time unit (years). It assesses whether the usage of resources exceeds the amount allocated to different people and generations. The smaller the value of resources time footprint, the more environmentally friendly is the process. Preferential locations for small hydropower in Dan River were specified, with a potential capacity ranging from 273 to 1175 kW. Resources time footprint of copper is 8.9–47.3 times as large as that of steel. Resources time footprint of CO2 emissions is much smaller than that of other aspects, revealing that small hydropower has a great potential to mitigate the greenhouse effect. The overall resources time footprint decreases with an increase in the installed capacity. The methodology proposed in this study can be used to identify the ideal locations for setting up small hydropower plants in other regions as well. © 2023 The Authors