Hydropower is usually classified as a traditional energy source, while it is considered not the most environmentally friendly of them. Most of the disadvantages of hydroelectric power plants are associated with interference with the river bed and construction of a dam. To avoid this and make it possible to generate clean energy from water, micro and small hydropower projects have been developed.
There are micro-hydroelectric power plants (up to 100 kW) and small hydroelectric power plants (from 100 kW to 10 MW). World leaders in the construction of stations of this type are China, Italy, France, Spain, Sweden, Canada, USA. Safe hydropower is still underdeveloped in Ukraine, despite a number of advantages.
The most promising Ukrainian regions for the development of small hydropower are: Western Ukraine, in particular – the Carpathians (a large number of small mountain rivers, an ideal natural landscape – mountains and hills); Northern Ukraine (swampy areas of Polesie and a developed river network); the channel of the Dnieper River (due to the large number of large hydroelectric power plants already built, the channel is deformed, and many reservoirs have been formed, on the basis of which small hydroelectric power plants can be built). By developing safe water energy generation there, we will be able to spread renewable energy sources throughout the country, increasing the share of renewable energy sources in the energy complex.
