Theoretical Hydrokinetic Power Potential Assessment of the U-Tapao River Basin Using GIS

Fida Ali, Chatchawin Srisuwan, Kuaanan Techato, Adul Bennui, Tanita Suepa and Damrongrit Niammuad
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Fida Ali: Department of Sustainable Energy Management, Faculty of Environment Management, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
Chatchawin Srisuwan: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
Kuaanan Techato: Environmental Assessment and Technology for Hazardous Waste Management, Faculty of Environmental Management, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
Adul Bennui: Southern Regional Center of Geo-Informatics and Space Technology, Faculty of Environmental Management, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
Tanita Suepa: Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), Bangkok 10210, Thailand
Damrongrit Niammuad: Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), Bangkok 10210, Thailand

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-13

Abstract: Conventional hydropower technologies such as dams have been criticized due to their negative environmental effects which have necessitated the development of new technologies for sustainable development of hydropower energy. Hydrokinetic (HK) energy is one such emerging renewable energy technology and, in this study, a theoretical potential assessment was done using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrological model, for the U-Tapao river basin (URB), a major tributary of the Songkhla lake basin (SLB) in southern Thailand. The SWAT was calibrated and validated with SWAT calibration and uncertainty (SWAT-CUP)-SUFI 2 programs using the observed discharge data from the gauging stations within the watershed. The model performance was evaluated based on the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) and the coefficient of determination (R 2 ) values, achieving 0.62 and 0.60, respectively, for calibration, and 0.65 and 0.68 for validation which is considered acceptable and can be used to represent flow estimation. The theoretical HK potential was estimated to be 71.9 MW along the 77.18 km U-Tapao river, which could be developed as a renewable and reliable energy source for the communities living around the river. The method developed could also be applied to river systems around the world for resource and time efficient HK potential assessments.

Keywords: riverine hydrokinetic; small hydropower; geographic information system; soil and water assessment tool (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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