Hydroelectric

Types of hydroelectric stations

Hydro power can be harnessed by using the energy in flowing water to turn a turbine, which then drives an electric generator to produce electricity. The energy in water is proportional to the flow rate (in cubic metres per second) and the head difference of the falling water.

Based on the installed capacity, hydroelectric stations can be divided into micro hydro, mini hydro, small hydro and large hydro systems. There are no common definitions for micro, mini, small or large hydro. It varies from country to country. The definitions according to the International Energy Association are as follows:
Micro hydro - hydroelectric station with installed capacity lower than 100 kW
Mini hydro - hydroelectric station in the range of 100kW to 1 MW
Small hydro - hydroelectric station in the range of 1 MW to 30 MW
Large hydro - hydroelectric station with installed capacity of over 30 MW

The potential for developing large hydro is not present in Hong Kong. Therefore this website mainly focuses on the small-scale hydroelectric systems.