Benefits : Micro-Hydro Power Plant
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A micro-hydro power plant generates less than 100 kW of electricity using the energy potential of water. The potential energy of flowing water is changed into kinetic energy as it passes through a turbine. The turbine then drives a generator which produces electricity.
Electrical energy produced by micro-hydro power plants is renewable and ‘clean’ because it does not emit polluting exhaust gases, unlike the electrical energy produced by burning fossil fuels in a diesel-powered generator. In most cases the power house is located at a distance from the point of use of electricity. This guarantees low noise pollution; in fact Micro-hydro systems are favored for their silent operation.
Micro-hydro plants produce electricity at a fraction of the cost of diesel-powered generators. These plants are reliable and after the initial expense of setting up the system require minimal maintenance to produce a constant supply of electricity. On the other hand, diesel-powered generators are dependent on the availability of diesel fuel and expensive to run. One litre of diesel fuel in Bario cost RM 6.00 in June 2006. The price is expected to rise due to increasing global demand for fossil fuels.
Bario’s almost total reliance on diesel generators means that power supply is often interrupted when fuel runs out. This is a perennial problem, as the only means of transporting the fuel from Miri is via costly and irregular air cargo transport.
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