Technology
Run-of-River
Run-of-river or “non-storage” hydropower is an environmentally responsible means of producing electricity with small-scale hydro projects. Unlike traditional hydroelectric projects that use large dams to store water, run-of-river hydro relies upon the natural downward flow and elevation of rivers to produce electricity. Traditional hydroelectric systems have a higher risk of significantly altering ecosystems and flood arable land and areas inhabited by wildlife and humans.
Image Source: IPPBC
Run-of-River hydro mitigates environmental impacts in several ways: run-of-river hydro minimizes risk to fish populations because it does not place turbines directly in the river, and run-of-river head ponds (if there are any) do not store water. Instead, water continually and naturally moves through the system. Water from the river flows into a small head pond, through a pipe called a penstock, to the power station housing the turbines and finally back to the original water source through a tailrace or stream of water coming from the power station. For example, the ecological footprint of a 50 MW run-of-river project is relatively small yet it can produce electricity for over 20,000 homes.
Syntaris’s run-of-river projects offer an environmentally responsible, cost-effective and efficient way of creating green energy. Before any hydroelectric project is built, an upwards of 40 permits, licenses, reviews and approvals may be required from various federal, provincial, municipal regulatory bodies and First Nations.
