Is small-scale hydropower energy recovery a viable alternative for climate change mitigation and adaptation? The case of the traditional irrigation system in Valencia (Spain)

Brazzini, Tommaso; Sales-Martínez, Vicente; López Pérez, Esther; Lorenzo-Sáez, Edgar|||0000-0003-3766-1198; Ortega-Reig, Mar|||0000-0001-6798-7119; Palau-Salvador, Guillermo|||0000-0003-0492-6567

Is small-scale hydropower energy recovery a viable alternative for climate change mitigation and adaptation? The case of the traditional irrigation system in Valencia (Spain)

[EN] In the current scenario of climate emergency and energy transition, leveraging knowledge from interdisciplinary fields like the food-water-energy nexus is crucial. Traditional irrigation canals, an integral part of agricultural sustainability, offer untapped potential for small-scale hydropower...

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Authors:	Brazzini, Tommaso, Sales-Martínez, Vicente, López Pérez, Esther, Lorenzo-Sáez, Edgar\|\|\|0000-0003-3766-1198, Ortega-Reig, Mar\|\|\|0000-0001-6798-7119, Palau-Salvador, Guillermo\|\|\|0000-0003-0492-6567
Format:	article
Publication Date:	2024
Country:	España
Institution:	Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)
Repository:	RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia
Language:	English
OAI Identifier:	oai:riunet.upv.es:10251/211728
Online Access:	https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/211728
Access Level:	Open access
Keyword:	Micro hydropower Small-scale hydropower Irrigation network Water-energy-food nexus Renewable energy Greenhouse gas emissions ECONOMIA, SOCIOLOGIA Y POLITICA AGRARIA INGENIERIA AGROFORESTAL 07.- Asegurar el acceso a energías asequibles, fiables, sostenibles y modernas para todos 13.- Tomar medidas urgentes para combatir el cambio climático y sus efectos

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spelling	Is small-scale hydropower energy recovery a viable alternative for climate change mitigation and adaptation? The case of the traditional irrigation system in Valencia (Spain)Brazzini, TommasoSales-Martínez, VicenteLópez Pérez, EstherLorenzo-Sáez, Edgar\|\|\|0000-0003-3766-1198Ortega-Reig, Mar\|\|\|0000-0001-6798-7119Palau-Salvador, Guillermo\|\|\|0000-0003-0492-6567Micro hydropowerSmall-scale hydropowerIrrigation networkWater-energy-food nexusRenewable energyGreenhouse gas emissionsECONOMIA, SOCIOLOGIA Y POLITICA AGRARIAINGENIERIA AGROFORESTAL07.- Asegurar el acceso a energías asequibles, fiables, sostenibles y modernas para todos13.- Tomar medidas urgentes para combatir el cambio climático y sus efectos[EN] In the current scenario of climate emergency and energy transition, leveraging knowledge from interdisciplinary fields like the food-water-energy nexus is crucial. Traditional irrigation canals, an integral part of agricultural sustainability, offer untapped potential for small-scale hydropower, providing a decentralized and reliable electricity source. This study estimates the potential for small-scale hydropower production in a medium-scale irrigation system in the Valencia province (Spain). Relevant parameters obtained from local sources (head, water flow, irrigation regimes, etc.) were analysed to select the most appropriate turbine. A total of 8 mills were considered for this branch of the irrigation network. Potential power installable and energy production were estimated using 30 years of historical water flow data from in situ measurements. A maximum of 750 MWh/year for the highest head mill was calculated for the year with the highest water flow (2010). For the same year, the total production for all mills together reached nearly 5 GWh/year. These results are consistent with similar case studies in the literature and highlight the untapped capacity of the irrigation network for potential future practical projects. Discussions on the application of the energy produced consider two scenarios: electricity self-consumption and sale to the grid, and hydrogen production for local industrial use. Both scenarios show significant benefits (economic and energy) for the potential installation of hydropower systems. The mitigation potential, particularly for hydrogen production, is shown to depend on the national electricity mix. Opportunities and limitations are considered, highlighting the policy context and the need for further research on economic viability, life cycle assessments, and future climate projections. This work supports decentralized energy models aligned with the EU¿s carbon neutrality goals and emphasizes the significant potential for micro-hydro installations in irrigation canals as part of a sustainable energy mix.ElsevierInstituto de Gestión de la Innovación y del ConocimientoDepartamento de Ingeniería Rural y AgroalimentariaInstituto Universitario de Tecnologías de la Información y ComunicacionesDepartamento de Economía y Ciencias SocialesCentro Valenciano de Estudios sobre el RiegoEscuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica y del Medio NaturalUniversitat Politècnica de ValènciaRepositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politècnica de València Riunet20242024-12-01journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501VoRhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85info:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/211728reponame:RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valénciainstname:Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)Inglésengopen accesshttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2Reconocimiento - No comercial - Sin obra derivada (by-nc-nd) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:riunet.upv.es:10251/2117282026-06-13T07:49:27Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv	Is small-scale hydropower energy recovery a viable alternative for climate change mitigation and adaptation? The case of the traditional irrigation system in Valencia (Spain)
title	Is small-scale hydropower energy recovery a viable alternative for climate change mitigation and adaptation? The case of the traditional irrigation system in Valencia (Spain)
spellingShingle	Is small-scale hydropower energy recovery a viable alternative for climate change mitigation and adaptation? The case of the traditional irrigation system in Valencia (Spain) Brazzini, Tommaso Micro hydropower Small-scale hydropower Irrigation network Water-energy-food nexus Renewable energy Greenhouse gas emissions ECONOMIA, SOCIOLOGIA Y POLITICA AGRARIA INGENIERIA AGROFORESTAL 07.- Asegurar el acceso a energías asequibles, fiables, sostenibles y modernas para todos 13.- Tomar medidas urgentes para combatir el cambio climático y sus efectos
title_short	Is small-scale hydropower energy recovery a viable alternative for climate change mitigation and adaptation? The case of the traditional irrigation system in Valencia (Spain)
title_full	Is small-scale hydropower energy recovery a viable alternative for climate change mitigation and adaptation? The case of the traditional irrigation system in Valencia (Spain)
title_fullStr	Is small-scale hydropower energy recovery a viable alternative for climate change mitigation and adaptation? The case of the traditional irrigation system in Valencia (Spain)
title_full_unstemmed	Is small-scale hydropower energy recovery a viable alternative for climate change mitigation and adaptation? The case of the traditional irrigation system in Valencia (Spain)
title_sort	Is small-scale hydropower energy recovery a viable alternative for climate change mitigation and adaptation? The case of the traditional irrigation system in Valencia (Spain)
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv	Brazzini, Tommaso Sales-Martínez, Vicente López Pérez, Esther Lorenzo-Sáez, Edgar\|\|\|0000-0003-3766-1198 Ortega-Reig, Mar\|\|\|0000-0001-6798-7119 Palau-Salvador, Guillermo\|\|\|0000-0003-0492-6567
author	Brazzini, Tommaso
author_facet	Brazzini, Tommaso Sales-Martínez, Vicente López Pérez, Esther Lorenzo-Sáez, Edgar\|\|\|0000-0003-3766-1198 Ortega-Reig, Mar\|\|\|0000-0001-6798-7119 Palau-Salvador, Guillermo\|\|\|0000-0003-0492-6567
author_role	author
author2	Sales-Martínez, Vicente López Pérez, Esther Lorenzo-Sáez, Edgar\|\|\|0000-0003-3766-1198 Ortega-Reig, Mar\|\|\|0000-0001-6798-7119 Palau-Salvador, Guillermo\|\|\|0000-0003-0492-6567
author2_role	author author author author author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv	Instituto de Gestión de la Innovación y del Conocimiento Departamento de Ingeniería Rural y Agroalimentaria Instituto Universitario de Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicaciones Departamento de Economía y Ciencias Sociales Centro Valenciano de Estudios sobre el Riego Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica y del Medio Natural Universitat Politècnica de València Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politècnica de València Riunet
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv	Micro hydropower Small-scale hydropower Irrigation network Water-energy-food nexus Renewable energy Greenhouse gas emissions ECONOMIA, SOCIOLOGIA Y POLITICA AGRARIA INGENIERIA AGROFORESTAL 07.- Asegurar el acceso a energías asequibles, fiables, sostenibles y modernas para todos 13.- Tomar medidas urgentes para combatir el cambio climático y sus efectos
topic	Micro hydropower Small-scale hydropower Irrigation network Water-energy-food nexus Renewable energy Greenhouse gas emissions ECONOMIA, SOCIOLOGIA Y POLITICA AGRARIA INGENIERIA AGROFORESTAL 07.- Asegurar el acceso a energías asequibles, fiables, sostenibles y modernas para todos 13.- Tomar medidas urgentes para combatir el cambio climático y sus efectos
description	[EN] In the current scenario of climate emergency and energy transition, leveraging knowledge from interdisciplinary fields like the food-water-energy nexus is crucial. Traditional irrigation canals, an integral part of agricultural sustainability, offer untapped potential for small-scale hydropower, providing a decentralized and reliable electricity source. This study estimates the potential for small-scale hydropower production in a medium-scale irrigation system in the Valencia province (Spain). Relevant parameters obtained from local sources (head, water flow, irrigation regimes, etc.) were analysed to select the most appropriate turbine. A total of 8 mills were considered for this branch of the irrigation network. Potential power installable and energy production were estimated using 30 years of historical water flow data from in situ measurements. A maximum of 750 MWh/year for the highest head mill was calculated for the year with the highest water flow (2010). For the same year, the total production for all mills together reached nearly 5 GWh/year. These results are consistent with similar case studies in the literature and highlight the untapped capacity of the irrigation network for potential future practical projects. Discussions on the application of the energy produced consider two scenarios: electricity self-consumption and sale to the grid, and hydrogen production for local industrial use. Both scenarios show significant benefits (economic and energy) for the potential installation of hydropower systems. The mitigation potential, particularly for hydrogen production, is shown to depend on the national electricity mix. Opportunities and limitations are considered, highlighting the policy context and the need for further research on economic viability, life cycle assessments, and future climate projections. This work supports decentralized energy models aligned with the EU¿s carbon neutrality goals and emphasizes the significant potential for micro-hydro installations in irrigation canals as part of a sustainable energy mix.
publishDate	2024
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv	2024 2024-12-01
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv	journal article http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501 VoR http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
dc.type.openaire.fl_str_mv	info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format	article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv	https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/211728
url	https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/211728
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv	Inglés eng
language_invalid_str_mv	Inglés
language	eng
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv	open access http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 Reconocimiento - No comercial - Sin obra derivada (by-nc-nd) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.rights.openaire.fl_str_mv	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv	open access http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 Reconocimiento - No comercial - Sin obra derivada (by-nc-nd) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv	openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv	application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv	Elsevier
publisher.none.fl_str_mv	Elsevier
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv	reponame:RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia instname:Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)
instname_str	Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)
reponame_str	RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia
collection	RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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score	15,811543

Is small-scale hydropower energy recovery a viable alternative for climate change mitigation and adaptation? The case of the traditional irrigation system in Valencia (Spain)

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