Environmental Technologies and Eco-innovation in the Czech ...

TABLE 2 | Electricity generation from RES in the Czech Republic [MWh, %], 2007
Renewable electricity source
Gross
generation
of electricity
[MWh]
Electricity delivery
to the supply
network
[MWh]
Share in home gross
consumption of
electricity
[%]
Share
in gross generation
of electricity
[%]
Hydro power plants 2 089 600.0 2 080 800.0 2.90 2.37
Biomass in total 968 062.9 403 706.1 1.34 1.10
Biogas in total 215 223.0 138 485.0 0.30 0.24
Municipal solid waste (MSW) 11 975.1 5 074.0 0.02 0.01
Wind power plants 125 100.0 124 700.0 0.17 0.14
Photovoltaic systems (estimate) 2 127.0 1 800.0 0 0
Liquid biofuels 9.0 8.2 0 0
RES in total 3 412 097.0 2 754 573.3 4.73 3.86
SOURCE | MIT
The theoretical potential of electricity generation from RES is 50 TWh in the Czech
Republic. 5% of this 50 TWh would be from hydraulic power plants, 12% from wind
power plants, 20% would be geothermal energy, 26% from biomass energy and 37%
from solar energy. The actual potential, influenced mainly by economics and available
locations for these sources, is lower.
2.2.1 | Hydro power plants
Hydro power plants are the most expandable facilities for energy generation from
RES in the Czech Republic. Their advantage is their flexibility and quick start thanks
to the accumulation of water energy in reservoirs. Therefore, they significantly
contribute to maintaining the balance between the generation and consumption of
electricity in energy grids.
The share of HPP in electricity generation from RES fluctuates; generation is strongly
dependent on watercourse accumulation throughout the year. Today, the annual volume
of electricity deliveries from HPP hover around 2.5 TWh per year in the Czech Republic.
The construction of large dams significantly impacts the landscape and local ecosystems,
and it changes microclimatic conditions in surrounding areas. Therefore, it is
impossible to assume a considerable increase in the number of large HPP in the future.