Potential and prospects for hydropower development: Example of the Odra River basin in Poland

Hydropower remains a leading renewable energy source and can complement electricity supply from solar and wind energy owing to its flexibility, energy-storage capacity, and low emissions; therefore, it is important to estimate its potential applications. The aims of this study were to: (I) assess the hydropower situation in the Odra River basin; (II) determine the hydropower potential for three calculation scenarios; (III) evaluate the impact of climate change on the hydropower potential. There were 317 hydropower plants in the Odra River basin with an installed capacity of 254.72 MW. According to the adopted methodology, the total hydropower potential was 1496.42 GWh (12.5 % of the Polish potential). As manifestations of the impact of climate change in this area, which may limit the potential for hydropower development, an increase in sunshine duration and average air temperature at meteorological stations were observed. The potential for hydropower development in the Odra River basin is large and results from favorable natural and technical conditions. New hydropower structures should be launched only after conducting a broad analysis of potential profits and losses. The present work is important from the viewpoint of sustainable development goals, environmental, climate, and energy policies, and the methodology for determining electricity production.