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Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity , almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, [ 1 ] which is more than all other renewable sources combined and also more than nuclear power . [ 2 ]
Hydropower (from Ancient Greek ὑδρο-, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kinetic energy of a water source to produce power. [1] Hydropower is a method of sustainable energy production.
In pumped hydro systems, energy from the source is used to lift water upward against the force of gravity, giving it potential energy that is later converted to electricity provided to the power grid. Energy can be stored in water pumped to a higher elevation using pumped storage methods or by moving solid matter to higher locations (gravity ...
The stored potential energy is later converted to electricity that is added to the power grid, even when the original energy source is not available. Electricity can be stored directly for a short time in capacitors, somewhat longer electrochemically in batteries , and much longer chemically (e.g. hydrogen), mechanically (e.g. pumped hydropower ...
Pumped-storage hydroelectricity (PSH), or pumped hydroelectric energy storage (PHES), is a type of hydroelectric energy storage used by electric power systems for load balancing. A PSH system stores energy in the form of gravitational potential energy of water, pumped from a lower elevation reservoir to a higher elevation.
However many run-of-the-river hydro power plants are micro hydro or pico hydro plants. Much hydropower is flexible, thus complementing wind and solar. [91] In 2021, the world renewable hydropower capacity was 1,360 GW. [73] Only a third of the world's estimated hydroelectric potential of 14,000 TWh/year has been developed.
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The power station was originally operated by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board, before being transferred to the South of Scotland Electricity Board. [12] It was owned by ScottishPower from the privatisation of Britain's electricity industry in 1990 until Drax Group purchased it along with other ScottishPower assets on 1 January 2019.