Hydropower converts the natural flow of water into electricity to light our homes and power our industries. The energy is produced by the fall of water turning the blades of a turbine. The turbine is connected to a generator that converts the energy into electricity.
The amount of electricity a hydropower installation can produce depends upon both the quantity of water passing through a turbine (the volume of water flow) and the height from which the water falls (the amount of head). The greater the combination of flow and the head, the more electrical power produced.
There are different types and sizes of hydropower installations in Canada, ranging from micro hydro plants that provide electricity to only a few homes to mega installations that can power large cities.
Some hydropower facilities include dams to increase the head of a waterfall or to control the flow of water, and reservoirs to store the water for future energy use (storage dam), while others produce electricity by immediately using a river's water flow.
The Pehonan Hydroelectric Project will be Run-of-River
A typical run-of-river hydro development has an intake structure, a pipeline and a power generation station. The intake pipe is submerged and conveys water from the intake area to the powerhouse where turbines attached to generators turn water energy into electricity. All of the diverted water is returned to the river immediately downstream of the powerhouse.
Hydropower is renewable, clean, steady and dependable, and is an essential part of our nation’s natural wealth and our way of life.