Renewable: HEP & Geothermal
Geography: Cambridge International GCSE (2027 Exams), topic 10.4.8
HEP and Geothermal Energy
HEP and geothermal energy are both ways to generate renewable energy.
Advantages of HEP
- HEP involves using water from a river stored behind a dam to turn a turbine and generate electricity.
- Advantages:
- Once set up, they are very cheap to run.
- No carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere.
- The water can be used as an additional drinking water source.
Disadvantages of HEP
- A very specific location is needed: impermeable rock, steep valley sides for the dam to be constructed, high levels of rainfall to replenish the water supply, and a large area of land that can be flooded behind the dam.
- It is very expensive to build the dam.
- Dams that break can cause massive flooding downstream, e.g. during an earthquake.
- The dam affects wildlife that move upstream to mate (e.g. salmon).
Advantages of geothermal
- Geothermal energy involves using naturally heated rocks in volcanic areas to heat water into steam to turn turbines to make electricity.
- Advantages:
- There is an unlimited supply of power.
- No carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere.
- This energy source is not reliant on the weather.
Disadvantages of geothermal
- This energy can only be produced in volcanic areas.
- The power stations are expensive to build and unpleasant to look at.
Test yourself on Renewable: HEP & Geothermal
Which renewable energy source involves using naturally heated rocks in volcanic areas to heat water into steam and to turn turbines to make electricity?