Assessment of run-of-river hydropower potential in the data-scarce region, Omo-Gibe Basin, Ethiopia

Ethiopia has abundant energy resources; however, only 45% of its population has access to energy. The hydropower potential assessment and development in the various river basins of Ethiopia needs more attention. Therefore, this study proposed a strategy to assess and implement the hydropower in the data-scarce region of Ethiopia, the Omo-Gibe basin. In this study, the hydropower potential was assessed using the Geographic Information System and Soil and Water Assessment Tool through the following procedure: (1) the stream network for the Winike river basin was generated; (2) the hydraulic head of second-order and above streams was estimated; (3) the hydropower potential sites with the hydraulic head of 20 m and above were identified; (4) the SWAT parameters were calibrated, validated, and regionalized in the study basin; (5) the flow duration curve was developed; (6) finally, the hydropower potential of each site was estimated. Based on the analysis, 103 potential sites were found to be suitable in the study region based on the available discharge and hydraulic head ranging between 20 and 81 m. The run-of-river hydropower potential of the identified sites was determined by integrating the results of the hydraulic head and dependable flow. In general, the overall analysis showed that the total hydropower potential of the Winike river was found to be 183.16, 125.96, and 33.03 MW at 50, 75, and 90% dependability, respectively. Moreover, the GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis was considered to rank the potential sites based on their suitability for implementing the hydropower projects in the study region. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Iranian Society of Environmentalists (IRSEN) and Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University 2022.