A Sustainable Future of Regulated Rivers and Lakes? What Can We Learn from the Revision of Hydropower Licenses in Norway?
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
A sustainable future of regulated rivers and lakes? What can we learn from the revision of hydropower licenses in Norway? Berit Köhler, Audun Ruud, Øystein Aas (Norwegian Institute for Nature Research; NINA) Foto: Jens Nicolai Thom, NVE Hydropower in Norway • Renewable, flexible source of energy, w/o direct climate gas emission • Impairs environmental conditions, recreational use & aesthetics in in and along the watercourses & lakes • ~70% of the larger Norwegian watercourses and 50% of the country`s total water-covered area regulated • Delivers currently 99% of the electricity used in Norway (130TWh/y) Hydropower in Norway • Norway is largest producer in Europe with ~ 25% marked share • Has 50 % of whole reservoir capacity within Europe • Norway as «green battery» of Europe? 3 existing interconnector lines; 2 more in 2021 • Produces ~ 1/6 of the power globally Revision of hydropower licenses • Licenses >50 years can be revised • 430 licences can come up for revision of terms in Norway before 2022 change in environmental flow requirements & reservoir regulations possible; not for HWL / LWL in reservoirs • Principal instrument to implement the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) in Norway. • Prioritizing project in 2013 (NVE) Interests/concerns around HP production fish (salmon & Co) power production other bio- economy environment diversity security of power supply Photo: Geir R.Løvstad ? flood security Photo: Bård Haugsrud society climate friendly/ renewable cultural tourism heritage Photo: Jørn Hagen recreation & landscape aesthetics Objectives for revision of licenses Directive Norw. Ministry for Petroleum & Energy (2012): • Improve the environmental conditions of the regulated watercourses & weighing against PP loss • Holistic assessment of all advantages/disadvantages • Catchment-based approach & incorporation of WFD objectives if possible • Consider existing potential production extension plans in the resp. watercourses • Introduce standard terms after assessing existing values, effects of measures & costs Objectives & methods • Study content, methods & procedural qualities of decision- making • Evaluate if the revision objectives were achieved • Understand conflicts and trade-offs related to the sustainable use of regulated rivers & lakes • Document analysis of all relevant revision and legal documents • Media analysis (for local acceptance) Overview over studied revisions Selbu-& Dragstlake Tesse Trondheim Lillehammer Vinstra watercourse Stavanger Årdal-& Stølsåna watercourses Example: revision of Vinstra watercourse Kamfossen Kamfossen Olstappen Nedre Heimdalsvatn Øyangen Bygdin Kaldfjorden Bygdin Kaldfjorden Øyvatnet Vinsteren Vinsteren 80 km Licenses: regulation of Bygdin (1928) regulation Vinsteren and Olstappen (1948) regulation Kaldfjord (Sandvatn, Øyvatn) (1954) regulation /transfer Nedre Heimdalsvatn/Øyangen (1956) Decision process revision of terms Common process (on a timeline) OED/royal decree Request placed (to NVE) Revision opened (by NVE) / rev.doc. (PC) Recommendations by NVE Final decision/new terms Public hearing Results: duration of revision process Year 1993/ 94 / 95 / 96 / 97 / 98 / 99 / 00 / 01 / 02 / 03 / 04 / 05 / 06 / 07 / 08 / 09 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 Vinstra (12 years) Tesse (18 years) Selbu/ (15 years) Årdal (17 years) Results: content of revision Interests HP production fish other biodiversity recreation/tourism aesthetics agricultural use cultural heritage water quality flood security security of supply renewable energy Results: content of revision Interests Measures HP production reservoir regulation fish minimal flow rivers other biodiversity fish (release/habitat) recreation/tourism erosion (reservoirs) aesthetics thresholds/dams agricultural use cultural heritage cultural heritage (survey/protection) cleaning water quality (reservoir banks) flood security water quality funds/payments/ security of supply concession taxes renewable energy Results: content of revision Interests Measures New terms HP production reservoir regulation regulation of fish manoeuvring: minimal flow rivers power loss other biodiversity fish (release/habitat) recreation/tourism standard terms erosion (reservoirs) (nature manage- aesthetics ment; erosion; cultural heritage; thresholds/dams agricultural use water quality; cultural heritage cleaning; traffic; thresholds): cultural heritage (survey/protection) no power loss cleaning water quality (reservoir banks) flood security water quality economic funds/payments/ compensation: security of supply concession taxes no power loss renewable energy Results: knowledge base for decisions Interests State before revision HP production yes/valuation fish yes/no val. other biodiversity yes/no val. recreation/tourism yes/no val. aesthetics qualit./no val. agricultural use partially/no val. cultural heritage partially/no val. water quality yes/no val. flood security yes/no val. security of supply no renewable energy no Results: knowledge base for decisions Interests Relationship/effect Measures HP production yes/valuation fish insufficient/no val. reservoir regulation other biodiversity recreation/tourism aesthetics agricultural use cultural heritage minimal flow rivers water quality flood security security of supply renewable energy Results: content of terms with power loss Vinstra Tesse Selbu-/ Årdal/ Dragstlake Stølsåna Request of RR: Olstappen RR: Tesse RR: Selbu & MF: Årdal interest minimalMF: all flow riversMF : Tessa river Dragst 6m3/s (su) 3 groups sections; from (not specified) MF: Selbu 2,25m /s (wi) Kaldfjord 3m3/s 1,4/3/10m3/s Stølsåna (su); Dragst 0,5-1m3/s (su) 0,1m3/s 0,2m3/s (wi) Final RR: no RR: Tesse/yes RR: Selbu/yes MF: Årdal terms of MF: Kaldfjord MF: Tessa no Dragst/yes 2m3/s (su) 3 revision 1-3m /s (su) MF: Selbu 1,5 (wi) 0,5m3/s (wi) 1,4m3/s (su) Stølsåna no All others no Dragst 0,1m3/s reservoir regulation Power loss 21,6 14,5 11,2 - 22,2 20-30 (GWh/y) % of total 1,7 5,2-8 1,1-2,9 1,4-2,4 production (1306) (182-280) (761-1010) (1242-1422) (total prod. in GWh/y) RR= reservoir regulations; MF=minimal flow regulation Results: other aspects Vinstra Tesse Selbu-/ Årdal/ Dragstlake Stølsåna Introduction yes yes yes yes minimal flow rivers of standard terms Holistic yes no no no assessment (also for (catchment- concessions based) > 50 years) Inclusion of no no no yes production (no potential) (despite (despite extension potential) potential) plansreservoir regulation Acceptance -2 -1 -2 -2 by interest groups* * after revision; on a scale from -2 (high level of rejection); -1 (low level of rejection); 0 (acceptance); +1 (low level of approval); +2 (high level approval) The finished revisions show (1) • Decisions er quite complex, involving interests on different scales • Decision-making takes very long time, even though mostly not done for whole catchment and partially w/o including potential production extension plans • More water (RR & MR) frequently not given due to insufficient knowledge burden of proof on the side of the environmental interests • Power loss is not substantial, related to total production The finished revisions show (2) • Weighing of interests not based on the valuation of all relevant interests (only HP production) • Degree of structured decision-making very low • By using standard terms for nature management (without power loss) are the environmental interests not fully weighed in the same decision context unclear future costs for the concession holders optimal solutions for weighing power loss against improved environmental conditions? The finished revisions show (3) • Objectives of the directives for revision of terms only partially met (environmental conditions vs. PP loss; holistic assessement; catchment-based approach/ implementation of WFD; incl. power extension plans; use standard terms after assessing existing values, effects of measures & costs) • Sustainability of decisions could/should be improved, taking also into account the low acceptance of these first revisions (potentially ~400 more to come until 2022) 22 Thank you for your attention! Questions? 22 .