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RESOURCES OF THE GROSS HYDROPOWER POTENTIAL OF THE AMU-
BUKHARA CANAL USING SINGLE-POINT AND TWO-POINT METHODS
Fazliddinova Sevinch Fazliddinovna
3rd year student of the Department of Electrical and energy
engineering of Bukhara State Technical Institute, Bukhara, Uzbekistan
ABSTRACT:
This article assesses the hydropower potential of the Amu-Bukhara Canal in the
Bukhara region. To evaluate this potential, both single-point and two-point methods were used,
along with the GR-70 hydrometric device to measure water discharge and flow velocity.
According to the study results, the average annual water discharge for 2024 on a 70 km section of
the Amu-Bukhara Canal was 117.8 m³/s, with a flow velocity ranging from 0.5 to 2 m/s. The two-
point method was found to be more accurate, estimating the average annual energy generation at
1.5 million kWh. Based on these findings, it is scientifically proven that this irrigation canal can
accommodate low-power micro-hydroelectric plants.
KEYWORDS:
Amu-Bukhara Canal, hydrometric device "GR-70", gross water flow potential,
water discharge, water flow velocity, "single-point" and "two-point" methods.
I
.
INTRODUCTION
The use of renewable energy sources offers numerous benefits, including reducing greenhouse gas
emissions and decreasing dependence on fossil fuel markets, particularly oil and gas [1-3].
According to reports, greenhouse gas emissions in the Bukhara region increased by 30% between
2010 and 2024 [4]. The expansion of renewable energy can significantly mitigate the effects of
climate change while also stimulating global employment by creating jobs in new power plants
[5].
The Renewables 2024 Global Status Report estimates that renewable energy sources account for
27.3% of global electricity generation, with wind, solar, and hydropower being the most prevalent.
Among them, hydropower is the leading source, contributing 15.9%, while solar and wind energy
collectively account for 8% (Fig. 1) [6].
Fig. 1.
Estimated share of renewable energy sources in global electricity
Taking into account environmental challenges, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan has
adopted the following resolutions:
Presidential Decree No. PP-2947 (May 2, 2017) – On the program of measures for the further
development of hydropower for 2017-2021. Presidential Decree No. PP-3012 (May 26, 2017) –
On the program of measures for the further development of renewable energy, improving energy
efficiency in economic sectors and the social sphere for 2017-2021. Presidential Decree No. PP-
3687 (April 28, 2018) – On additional measures for the implementation of investment projects in
the field of renewable energy sources. Presidential Decree No. PP-4422 (August 22, 2019) – On
accelerated measures to improve energy efficiency in economic sectors and the social sphere,
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introduce energy-saving technologies, and develop renewable energy sources. In accordance with
these resolutions, Uzbekistan aims to gradually increase the use of renewable energy sources,
establish new reliable and environmentally friendly power generation capacities, modernize
existing hydroelectric power plants using advanced technologies, and enhance water resource
management by adopting international best practices [7].
Between 2020 and 2030, according to the National Energy Strategy of the Republic of Uzbekistan,
electricity generation from renewable energy sources is planned to increase to 30%. During this
period, additional 30 GW of capacity is expected to be installed, including 3.8 GW from
hydropower, 5 GW from solar energy, and approximately 3 GW from wind energy. As of today,
Uzbekhydroenergy operates 37 hydroelectric power plants, generating 6.5 billion kWh annually
[8].
One of the most important water supply complexes in Uzbekistan, serving the Bukhara and
partially Navoi regions, is the Amu-Bukhara Machine Canal [9]. To implement hydropower
projects, it is essential to first assess the hydropower potential of the Bukhara region’s irrigation
system. The availability of hydropower resources can facilitate the development of new
hydropower plants, ensuring environmentally friendly, reliable, and uninterrupted electricity
supply to remote areas of the Bukhara region that lack access to the centralized power grid [10].
When studying the hydropower potential of rivers and irrigation systems, various methods of
water resource assessment are used. One of the most important traditional approaches is field
surveys, along with data collection from meteorological stations. For example, Nathan Roman et
al., in their research, presented the results of exploratory studies aimed at identifying hydropower
potential in Western Malaysia for micro-hydroelectric power plants. To determine this potential,
data was obtained from sources such as the Department of Surveys and Cartography of Malaysia
and the Meteorological Department of Malaysia.
According to the study, 109 high-pressure sites (with a head of more than 50 meters) were
examined, revealing an estimated total capacity of 20.4 MW [11].
Ilaria Butera and Roberto Balestra, in their study on the hydropower potential assessment of
irrigation channels in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, proposed a method for
identifying and characterizing irrigation networks with high hydropower potential. Their approach
allows for determining the installed capacity of small hydropower plants and evaluating their
efficiency. According to the study, the hydropower potential of this region ranges from 3.5 MW
to 9 MW [12].
Some locations within the irrigation system may have greater potential than others but can be
overlooked due to their remoteness or difficult terrain, leading to additional time and financial
costs. However, the integration of GIS software enables remote sensing, significantly simplifying
hydropower potential assessment.
Entin Hidayah et al., in their study, proposed a method to identify potential sites on the Ravatamtu
River (East Java) with good hydropower potential for the construction of hydroelectric power
plants, based on two main factors: the presence of a steep slope and maximum water flow. To
determine these parameters, as well as to define catchment area boundaries and the river network,
the ASTER GDEM 2 software was used, selecting the longest section for analysis. According to
the study, the hydropower potential in this area can reach 653 kW [13].
In his research on the gross hydropower potential of the Murat River in southern Turkey, Sadik
Alashan applied the double-point method, the hypsographic curves method, and the gross
hydroelectric power calculation method (Areal Gross). The study found that the gross hydropower
potential of the area was 2,185 MW, nearly twice the estimate from the single-point method (933
MW) and the hypsographic curves method (974 MW) [14].
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There are electricity-related problems in this region, such as frequent power outages due to
shortages and the absence of power lines in remote areas of the Bukhara region. To address this
issue, it is necessary to assess the hydropower potential of the region to design a hydropower plant
that operates efficiently in low-pressure irrigation streams, thereby increasing electrification levels
in remote areas of the Bukhara region [15-17].
II. METHOD AND MATERIALS
Gross hydropower potential is defined as the annual energy that could be generated if all natural
flows at all locations were utilized without any energy loss. In practical applications, the
hydroelectric potential of a watercourse is calculated using two classical methods with relatively
simple formulas, allowing the estimation of gross hydropower potential based on water flow rate
and head. These methods include single-point and two-point techniques.
To identify the hydropower potential in the Bukhara region, exploratory studies such as
cartographic and hydrological surveys were conducted. For both aspects of the study, topographic
maps and meteorological data were used to estimate the head and flow velocity of potential
hydropower sites, using a hydrometric device. Figure 2 (a) presents a diagram of a hydrometric
installation, while Figure 2 (b) illustrates the measurement process using the GR-70 hydrometric
device for water flow assessment.
(а)
(б)
Fig. 2.
GR-70 Hydrometric installation for measuring water flow in rivers
a) Scheme of the hydrometric installation, b) Process of measuring the water flow on ABC-
1 (Amu-Bukhara Canal-1)
When assessing hydropower potential, it is essential to determine water head and flow rate.
According to Building Codes and Standards 2.06.03-85 Reclamation Systems and
Structures. Irrigation Channels and Networks, the height difference in hydropower potential
assessment corresponds to the slope of the irrigation channel, which is approximately 5 cm
per kilometer. Table 1 presents the average monthly water consumption of the Amu-
Bukhara Canal for the year 2024.
Table 1.
Month
Water
consumption, (m
3
/s)
Month
Water
consumption, (m
3
/s)
January
69,1
July
176,8
February
79
August
168,3
March
93,4
September
109,1
April
89,4
October
66,8
May
145,2
November
105,1
Jun
174,6
December
136,3
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SINGLE-POINT METHOD
This most commonly used practical formulation is useful for preliminary calculations of
hydroelectric power, P, which expresses it as equal to γ times the discharge Q, multiplied by the
falling head H:
H
Q
P
=
g
(1)
where:
g
- specific weight of water in kN/m³,
Q
- water discharge in m³/s,
H
- head in
meters,
P
-power in kW.
This method is applicable for assessing the gross hydropower potential at a specific
point where water flow and head parameters have been measured.
DOUBLE-POINT METHOD
Equation (1) does not take into account certain topographic parameters of the watercourse, such as
elevation changes along the main channel. Therefore, the results may not always be reliable.
Considering head and discharge measurements at two locations provides more accurate results. In
practice, two points are taken as the arithmetic mean of the watercourse height h₁ and another
height h₂ at the outlet point. Consequently, a rational and logical approach leads to another
version of equation (1) as:
(2)
where Q₁, Q₂, and Qᵢ are the water discharge at the beginning, at the outlet, and in the
middle of the watercourse, respectively.
1
2
2
i
h h
h
+
=
(3)
where h₁, h₂, and hᵢ are the water head at the beginning, at the outlet, and in the middle
of the watercourse, respectively.
Therefore, the power of the gross hydropower potential is calculated as:
2
2
(
)
2
i
i
Q Q
P
h h
g
+
=
-
(4)
where,
g
- is the specific gravity of water in kN/m
3
, Q
2
-is the water flow rate at the outlet in m³/s,
Q
i
is the water flow rate in the middle of the watercourse in m³/s, h
2
–is the water pressure at the
outlet in m, h
i
- is the water pressure in the middle of the watercourse in m,
P
- is the power in kW
III. RESULTS
The assessment of the gross hydropower potential was carried out on the section of the Amu-
Bukhara canal at the junction of two channels, ABK-1 and ABK-2, with a length of 70 km to the
Tudakul reservoir. The assessment took into account water flow losses directed to the Kalaulbazar
branch, which supplies two pumping stations—Karaulbazar and Dustlik. Table 2 presents the
calculated resource values of the gross (theoretical) hydropower potential in terms of capacity and
energy.
Table-2
Month
Power
(MW)
Energy
(mln. kW·h)
Month
Power
(MW)
Energy
(mln. kW·h)
January
2,4
0,5
July
6,1
1,2
February
2,7
0,5
August
5,8
1,2
1
2
2
i
Q Q
Q
+
=
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March
3,2
0,6
September 3,7
0,7
April
3,1
0,6
October
2,3
0,5
May
5,0
1,0
November 3,6
0,7
June
6,0
1,2
December 4,7
0,9
Figure 3 presents a diagram illustrating the resources of the gross (theoretical) hydropower
potential for the section of the Amu-Bukhara canal, considering the water flow rate for the year
2018.
Fig. 3.
Gross hydropower potential for the period of 2024 for the section of the Amu-Bukhara
Canal using the single-point method.
Table 3 presents the water flow data measured at two points, at the beginning and end of
the watercourse, for the section of the Amu-Bukhara Canal during the 2024 period,
considering the water flow diversion to the Karaulbazar branch.
Table-3
Month
Q
1,
(m
3
/s) Q
2
, (m
3
/s) Month
Q
1,
(m
3
/s) Q
2,
(m
3
/s)
January
69,3
69,1
June
197,3
176,8
February
86,7
79,0
August
186,9
168,3
March
110,0
93,4
September 118,9
109,1
April
104,2
89,4
October
76,6
66,8
May
162,7
145,2
November
111,4
105,1
June
188,1
174,6
December
136,3
136,3
Table 4 presents the calculated water flow values in the middle of the watercourse, determined
using the two-point method, along with the resources of the gross (theoretical) hydropower
potential for the Amu-Bukhara Canal section, considering water consumption for the 2024 period.
Table-4
Month
Q
i,
(m
3
/s)
P,
(МW)
E,
(million
kW·h)
Q
i,
(м
3
/с)
P,
(МW)
E,
(million
kW·h)
January
69,2
1,2
0,9
July
187,0
3,1
2,2
February 82,8
1,4
1,0
August
177,6
3,0
2,1
March
101,7
1,7
1,2
September 114,0
1,9
1,4
April
96,8
1,6
1,1
October
71,7
1,2
0,9
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May
153,9
2,6
1,8
November 108,2
1,8
1,3
June
181,4
3,1
2,2
December 136,3
2,3
1,7
Figure 4 presents a diagram illustrating the resources of the gross (theoretical) hydropower
potential for the Amu-Bukhara Canal section, considering water consumption for the 2024 period,
calculated using the two-point method.
Fig. 4.
Gross hydropower potential for the period of 2024 for the section of the Amu-Bukhara
Canal using the two-point method
III. CONCLUSION
During the assessment of the gross hydropower potential of the 70-kilometer section of the Amu-
Bukhara Canal irrigation system, the GR-70 hydrometric installation was used. It was found that
the water flow rate ranges from 0.5 to 2 m/s, and the average annual water consumption is 117.8
m³/s. The scientific substantiation of gross hydropower potential resources has shown that the
two-point method is the most accurate and provides better results compared to the single-point
method, according to which the average annual energy was 1.5 million kWh and 0.8 million kWh,
respectively. The study showed that the Amu-Bukhara Canal has good hydropower potential and
can serve as a solution to problems with the electrification of remote areas, ensuring uninterrupted
and reliable electricity supply through micro-hydropower plants operating efficiently in low-
pressure watercourses.
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