In: Biology
Can a hydropower plant be a baseload plant as well as a peak
load
plant? In detail, discuss your answer.
Ans) Primarily the answer is Yes.
Hydropower plant is a plant which generates electricity by rotating the turbine with the help of moving or flowing water. A hydropower plant can be a baseload and a peak load plant as baseload plant requires minimum level of electricity in a particular period of time whereas peak load requires the maximum level of electricity in that amount of time. But the hydropower plant is successful in managing both these reverse conditions when the condition varies :
In a situation where river water is used to rotate the turbine the supply of electricity is at a continuous flow but at a slow force which acts a baseload plant but when in a situation, dam water is used to rotate the turbine the storage hydropower provides baseload (because of the continuous flow of water) as well as peak load because the pressure and speed of the water compelles the turbine to move faster and produce electricity. Thus a hydropower plant can act as both baseload as well as peakload plant.