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Hydropower: Clean Energy in DRC

The text discusses water power and its advantages compared to coal and steam energy. It emphasizes that water power is a cleaner source of energy that does not produce harmful emissions or require mining and burning fossil fuels. Water power plants also have a smaller carbon footprint and can generate electricity continuously as long as there is a steady water supply, making it more sustainable and stable than alternatives.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
26 views21 pages

Hydropower: Clean Energy in DRC

The text discusses water power and its advantages compared to coal and steam energy. It emphasizes that water power is a cleaner source of energy that does not produce harmful emissions or require mining and burning fossil fuels. Water power plants also have a smaller carbon footprint and can generate electricity continuously as long as there is a steady water supply, making it more sustainable and stable than alternatives.

Uploaded by

alex mikombe
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Water power

1 vocabulary
- Energy source: It is the resource
used to generate energy, such as
electricity. Energy sources can be
renewable (such as solar, wind or
hydro) or non-renewable (such as oil,
coal or natural gas).
- Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC): This is a country located in
Central Africa. The DRC is the
second largest country in Africa and
has a great diversity of natural
resources, including significant
hydroelectric potential.
- Hydroelectricity: It is a form of
renewable energy that uses the force
of moving water (such as rivers or
waterfalls) to generate electricity. It is
considered a clean source of energy
because it does not produce
greenhouse gases.
- Hydroelectric potential: This is the
amount of hydroelectric energy that a
country or region can potentially
produce. It depends on the
availability and flow of waterways.
- Watercourses: These are natural
waterways, such as rivers, rivers and
streams. They are
essential for hydroelectric power
generation because they provide the
movement of water needed to spin
turbines and generate electricity.
- Congo River: This is the second
longest river in Africa, flowing through
several countries including the
Democratic Republic of Congo. The
Congo River has enormous
hydroelectric potential and is a major
contributor to electricity generation in
the region.
- Total electricity production: This is
the total amount of electricity
generated in a given country or
region. It can come from different
energy sources, including hydro,
coal, natural gas, nuclear, etc.
- Hydroelectricity producers: These
are companies or facilities that
produce electricity from hydropower.
They can be public or private
companies.
- Africa: It is a continent located
between the Atlantic Ocean to the
west and the Indian Ocean to the
east. Africa is the second most
populous continent in the world and
has a great diversity of natural
resources, including
significant hydropower potential.

2 What is water power


Water power, also known as
hydropower or hydroelectric power, is
a form of renewable energy that
harnesses the energy of flowing or
falling water to generate electricity. It
involves the use of water's kinetic
and potential energy to turn turbines,
which then convert this mechanical
energy into electrical energy.
Water power can be generated in
various ways. One common method
is through the construction of dams,
where water is stored in reservoirs
behind the dam. When the water is
released, it flows through turbines,
causing them to spin and generate
electricity.
Another method is run-of-river
hydropower, which does not require
the construction of a dam. Instead, it
utilizes the natural flow of a river or
stream to turn turbines and generate
electricity.
Water power is considered an
inexhaustible resource because it
relies on the continuous cycle of
precipitation and evaporation,
ensuring a constant supply of water.
It is also a clean and sustainable
source of energy, as it does not
produce greenhouse gas emissions
or air pollution.
Hydropower plants can be found in
various locations, including rivers,
lakes, and even man-made canals.
They are often situated near
waterfalls, cascades, or areas with
high water flow and elevation
differences. These plants can range
in size from small-scale installations
in rural areas to large-scale
hydroelectric dams that provide
electricity to entire cities or regions.
Engineers play a crucial role in
designing and constructing
hydropower plants, ensuring their
efficiency and safety. Workers,
equipped with tools and materials,
are responsible for the maintenance
and operation of these facilities.
Overall, water power has been a
significant source of electricity
generation worldwide, providing a
reliable and sustainable energy
option for many communities.

3.provide adventages and


desaventages of
water
1. Hydropower - Another term for
water power.
2. Hydroelectric power - Also known
as water power.
3. Renewable energy - A form of
energy that can be replenished
naturally, such as water power.
4. Kinetic energy - The energy of
motion possessed by flowing or
falling water.
5. Potential energy - The stored
energy of water held in reservoirs
behind dams.
6. Turbines - Machines that convert
the energy of flowing water into
mechanical energy.
7. Mechanical energy - The energy
produced by the spinning turbines,
which is then converted into electrical
energy.
8. Run-of-river hydropower - A
method of generating water power
that does not require a dam.
9. Inexhaustible resource - A
resource that cannot be depleted,
such as water power.
10. Precipitation - The process of
water falling from the atmosphere as
rain, snow, or sleet.
11. Evaporation - The process of
water turning
into vapor and returning to the
atmosphere.
12. Clean energy - Energy sources
that do not produce harmful
emissions or pollution, such as water
power.
13. Sustainable energy - Energy
sources that can be used indefinitely
without depleting natural resources,
such as water power.
14. Greenhouse gas emissions -
Gases released into the atmosphere
that contribute to global warming and
climate change.
15. Air pollution - Contaminants
released into the air that can harm
human health and the environment.
16. Hydroelectric dams - Structures
built to store and control the flow of
water for generating electricity.
17. Man-made canals - Artificial
waterways created for various
purposes, including hydropower
generation.
18. Waterfalls - Natural formations
where water flows over a vertical
drop, often used for hydropower
generation.
19. Cascades - A series of small
waterfalls or rapids, also utilized for
generating water power.
20. Engineers - Professionals
responsible for designing and
constructing hydropower plants.
21. Maintenance - The act of keeping
hydropower facilities in good working
condition.
22. Operation - The process of
running and managing hydropower
plants.
23. Electricity generation - The
production of electrical energy from
various sources, including water
power.
24. Communities - Groups of people
living in the same area or sharing
common interests or characteristics.

Compared to coal:
1. Water power is a cleaner energy
source compared to coal, as it does
not produce harmful emissions such
as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and
nitrogen oxide, which contribute to air
pollution and climate change.
2. Water power does not require the
mining and burning of fossil fuels like
coal, reducing the environmental
impact associated with extraction and
combustion.
3. Water power plants have a smaller
carbon
footprint compared to coal-fired
power plants, contributing to efforts to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions
and combat climate change.

Compared to steam energy:


1. Water power is a form of steam
energy, as it utilizes the kinetic
energy of flowing or falling water to
generate electricity. Therefore, they
are closely related and share many
advantages, such as being
renewable, clean, and reliable.
2. However, steam energy can also
be generated using other fuel
sources like coal or natural gas,
which can lead to emissions and
environmental concerns. In contrast,
water power does not rely on
combustion or external fuel sources.
3. Water power plants have the
advantage of being able to generate
electricity continuously, as long as
there is a steady supply of water.
Steam energy plants may require fuel
input and combustion processes to
maintain operation, making them
potentially less stable and
sustainable in the long term.
4 what is the important source of
energy is DRC
The main source of energy in the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
is hydroelectricity. The country has
immense hydroelectric potential
thanks to its many rivers, in particular
the Congo River. Hydroelectricity
represents about 96% of the total
electricity production in the DRC. This
makes the DRC one of the largest
hydropower producers in Africa.

The energy sector in the Democratic


Republic of the Congo is largely
dominated by traditional biomass,
which accounts for 93% of the
country's primary energy production
and 94.4% of its domestic primary
energy consumption.
Crude oil extracted in the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) is entirely
exported and petroleum products
consumed in the country are
imported. In July 2022, the
government launched international
calls for expressions of interest for
the exploitation of 27 oil blocks in the
Congo Basin forest and three gas
blocks in
Lake Kivu. These projects are
strongly contested by scientists and
NGOs according to whom they would
endanger one of the most important
carbon sinks in the world: the tropical
forest of the Congo Basin.

Electricity represents only 3.7% of


the final energy consumption of the
DRC in 2019. It is produced at 99.4%
by hydroelectric power stations, 0.3%
by solar energy and 0.2% by biomass
plants.

5 Give the bummary of the texte

The text compares water power to


coal and steam energy, highlighting
the advantages of water power in
terms of environmental impact and
sustainability. It emphasizes that
water power is a cleaner energy
source compared to coal, as it does
not produce harmful emissions or
require the mining and burning of
fossil fuels. Additionally, water power
plants have a smaller carbon footprint
and contribute to efforts to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
When compared to steam energy,
water power is described as a form of
steam energy that utilizes the kinetic
energy of flowing or falling water.
However, unlike steam energy, water
power does not rely on combustion or
external fuel sources, making it more
environmentally friendly. Water power
plants also have the advantage of
being able to generate electricity
continuously, as long as there is a
steady supply of water, while steam
energy plants may require fuel input
and combustion processes for
operation. Overall, the text presents
water power as a cleaner, more
sustainable alternative to coal and
potentially more stable than steam
energy.

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