Most Small Hydropower Plants Idle as Drought Halts Turbines

A severe drought gripping the Czech Republic has forced the majority of small hydropower plants to cease operations. The extreme heat has significantly reduced water levels in Czech and Moravian rivers, directly affecting the functionality of run-of-river small water power plants (SWPPs).

These SWPPs, defined as facilities with a capacity of up to 10 megawatts, are particularly vulnerable to low water flows. According to the Association of Small Water Power Plants, a vast number of these facilities have already stopped generating electricity. The reduced water volume prevents the turbines from operating effectively, leading to a widespread shutdown across the sector.

In contrast, the country's major nuclear power plants, Temelín and Dukovany, are not experiencing any operational limitations due to the heat or diminished river levels. These facilities are equipped with cooling towers and maintain adequate water reserves, ensuring their continued safe operation.

The situation highlights the vulnerability of smaller renewable energy sources to climatic conditions and underscores the resilience of larger, more established energy infrastructure like nuclear power in the face of environmental challenges.

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The vast majority of them have stopped.