Hydel Energy

These notes are based on the chapter Sources of Energy of class 10 NCERT book and CBSE syllabus.

Hydel energy is produced by utilizing the kinetic energy of flowing water. For harnessing hydel energy, huge dams are built over a source of water. Water is collected behind the dam and then released. When water falls on turbine the turbine moves because of kinetic energy of water. Thus, electricity is generated by the turbine. Electricity, thus generated is called hydel energy or hydroelectricity.

Water in the reservoir is replenished with rainwater and so availability of water is not a problem for hydroelectricity.

Drawbacks of Hydel Plant

Damage to the environment

Building large dams is not good for the ecosystem. When a large dam is built, a vast tract of land in its vicinity gets submerged. This destroys a large part of vegetation and wildlife which does immense damage to the ecosystem. Moreover, when the submerged vegetation decomposes, it produces a huge amount of methane gas. Methane is a potential greenhouse gas and thus is not good for the environment.

Displacement of people

Building large dam also affects a huge section of population which lives in the surrounding areas. Many villages need to be evacuated during the construction of a dam because such villages come in the catchment area of the dam.

Although the government comes with some rehabilitation plan for such people but the displacement of people from their roots has its own costs involved. People are forced to start their life afresh at an alien land.

Thermal Power Plant

A thermal power plant converts heat energy into electrical energy. Heat can be supplied from different sources of energy such as coal, natural gas, petroleum product, etc.. Most of the thermal power plants in India are coal-fired power plants.

In a thermal power plant, coal or petroleum is used for converting water into steam. The steam is used to run the turbine, to generate electricity. Most of the thermal power plants in India use coal as the fuel.

Drawbacks of thermal power plant

• Overrealisation on fossil fuels.
• Causes air pollution by producing carbon dioxide and oxides of sulphur.
• Increases SPM (Suspended Particulate Matter) in air and thus causes smog.

10 Thermal Power Plants in India

1. Singrauli Super Thermal Power Station Uttar Pradesh
2. NTPC Korba Chhattisgarh
3. NTPC Ramagundam Telangana
4. Farakka Super Thermal Power Station West Bengal
5. Vindhyachal Super Thermal Power Station Madhya Pradesh
6. Rihand Thermal Power Station Uttar Pradesh
7. Kahalgaon Super Thermal Power Station Bihar
8. NTPC Dadri Uttar Pradesh
9. Talcher Super Thermal Power Station Odisha
10. Feroze Gandhi Unchahar Thermal Power Station Uttar Pradesh