Something that is one of the big issues at the moment is energy – the rise in energy prices, as well as the way that we obtain our energy, and how to generate energy that has less negative consequence for the planet are some of the main things that are on people’s minds a lot lately.
Generating power in a more environmentally friendly way is certainly something that we all need to think about now, and act quickly with in order to avert a climate crisis.
One of the ways that power can be generated is with water. This is known as hydroelectricity, and it is not something that we hear a lot about, however we do have hydroelectric power stations here in the UK.
Using fluid for power is something that is not a new idea – hydro-power dates back to China thousands of years ago, possibly as long ago as 202 BC! It was used predominantly for making paper and for breaking ore down.
During the industrial revolution in the UK, mills started to spring up to spin cotton and the power that they used to do this was hydro power. In modern times we use fluid power for things like this hydraulic power pack https://www.hydraproducts.co.uk/ so it has still got a place in the modern world.
When it comes to producing electricity, the UK has already got many hydroelectric power stations – some of these are Dinorwig, Ben Cruachan and Foyers. These power stations rely on a good supply of water, and then use a turbine which turns and generates the electricity. Water that is used to turn the turbine can be released, either out into a river, or back into the dam which feeds the turbine which can then be used again.
These hydroelectric power stations are built into mountains, which is why you will find that they are in mountainous areas of the UK. Choosing the right site for the power station therefore is very important. But because of the fact that they are so much better for the environment, they could certainly be used in conjunction with solar and wind power to provide the UK with more renewable energy, and to help to reduce the carbon emissions for the good of the planet.
