Speaking at the Regional to Global international conference in Quito, UTE University professor Nelson Gutiérrez said that the use of microhydro turbines in active water supply systems could transform public infrastructure into an additional energy source.
“While about 80% of Ecuador’s electricity is generated by hydropower plants, these are primarily major facilities such as Paute, Sopladora, Mazar and Coca Codo Sinclair, with capacities exceeding 500 MW. These are large-scale projects that require significant investment and complex construction, and that are subject to seasonal factors. We propose supplementing them with low-power systems, namely, microhydro turbines. This refers to units whose capacities range from 30 watts to 70 kilowatts, which can be built directly into pipelines and irrigation systems”, he said.
As an example, Mr. Gutiérrez presented a project developed under his leadership by a team of researchers for the Quito municipal water company.
“The city receives water mostly from the Papallacta area about 80 km away, and the water supply system includes more than 7,000 km of pipelines plus some 150 pumping stations in the urban area and another 170 in rural areas. This is a massive infrastructure with a continuous flow of water, which possesses kinetic energy. Microturbines could be installed at various points along the pipelines to convert this energy into electricity”, he added.
According to the research team’s calculations, the efficiency of microhydro turbines exceeds 80%, whereas solar panels typically demonstrate 20–35% efficiency. Mr. Gutiérrez said that increased reliability of critical infrastructure could be an additional benefit of these solutions.
“We’ve all seen cases where, due to droughts or accidents, the power goes out, and so does the water supply. In this case, we’re talking about guaranteeing a basic service, namely, water supply”, he stressed.
Commenting on the general trend towards renewable energy development, the expert cautioned against attempting to completely replace conventional power generation with exclusively renewable energy sources.
“Many of you may have read about what happened last year in Spain, which experienced a blackout, a complete failure of the power grid. This happened because the share of wind and solar in the energy mix approached 90% at one point. However, the power grid requires a certain inertia to maintain voltage and frequency within acceptable limits. This is why we need an energy balance and a hybrid energy mix, systems that ensure sustainability”, he explained.
