A Comprehensive Study of Micro-Hydropower Plant and Its Potential in Bangladesh

TLDR

Bangladesh faces economic development challenges due to fossil‑fuel depletion, rising electricity demand, and troubling carbon emissions from the developed world. The study aims to demonstrate how widespread micro‑hydropower plants, leveraging the country’s rivers and canals, can provide off‑grid power, address the current energy crisis, and support economic progress. The authors identify potential sites and outline methods—including hydrology and topographic studies, head calculations, and turbine selection—to locate new micro‑hydropower plants. The paper concludes that establishing widespread micro‑hydropower plants can alleviate Bangladesh’s power crisis and contribute to economic development.

Abstract

Depletion of fossil fuel and the inability to meet the rising demand of electricity are some drawbacks for the economic development of Bangladesh. Carbon emission done by developed world is also troubling the country. This paper focuses on the potential of micro-hydropower plant in Bangladesh due to its numerous rivers and canals providing off-grid power to the remote areas and also to the areas that are still outside the main grid network. This paper reflects on the current energy scenario in Bangladesh, the need to explore green energy thus proving how the establishment of widespread micro-hydropower plant can help overcome the current power crisis and play a role in the economic progress of the country. The existing potential sites are mentioned and the means to identify new sites are outlined by performing hydrology studies, topographic studies, head calculations, turbine selection, and so forth.