VIENNA, 4 December 2019 - The United Nation Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has published Technical Guidelines for the Development of Small Hydropower Plants.

Small hydropower (SHP) is increasingly seen as an important renewable energy solution to meet the challenge of the electrification of remote rural areas. However, while most countries in Europe, North and South America, as well as China have high degrees of installed capacity, the potential of SHP in many developing countries remains untapped and is often hindered by the lack of good practices as well as SHP development standards on a global level.

UNIDO, in cooperation with the International Centre on Small Hydro Power (INSHP), decided to write the Technical Guidelines for the Development of Small Hydropower Plants to meet the demand from Member States. The guidelines address the current limitations of the regulations for the development of SHP plants by applying expertise and best practices from across the globe. The intention for countries to utilize these guidelines to support their current policy, technology and ecosystems. Countries that have limited institutional and technical capacities will be able to enhance their knowledge in developing SHP plants, thereby attracting more investment, while at the same time encouraging favourable policies and therefore subsequently assisting in economic development at a national level. The guidelines are a valuable asset for all the countries, especially in sharing the technical know-how and best practices between countries that have limited technical capacities.

The publication has five volumes and 26 parts, which can be taken as the principles and basis for the planning, designing, construction and management of SHP plants up to 30MW.

The use of guidelines is highly recommended for training, education and practice in small hydropower development. Suggestions and recommendations for possible updates of the guidelines are very welcome.

Download the guidelines here.

 

 

For more information, please contact:

LIU Heng

Senior Technical Advisor, Department of Energy, UNIDO

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