World Dams Losing Storage Capacity Due to Sedimentation – What Is the Situation Like in Serbia?

Nearly 50,000 large dams worldwide could lose more than a fourth of their storage capacities by 2050, as a result of sedimentation, which jeopardizes the global security of water and energy, as shown by the United Nations’ research, the elektroenergetika.info website reports.

The capacity of the dams is expected to drop from six billion cubic meters to 4.655 billion cubic meters by 2050.

The sludge accumulates in the tanks as a result of disturbances in the natural water flows. This can lead to the damaging of hydro power turbines and cause the production of electrical energy to stop. Interfering with the flows of the sediments along the river can also make the upstream regions more susceptible to floods and erode the downstream habitats.

The UN study observed the data from more than 47,000 dams in 150 countries and concluded that 16% of the initial capacity had already been lost.

What is the situation like in Serbia?

Similar problems exist on the accumulation lakes at hydro power plants in Serbia. They range from negligible quantities of sedimentation (for example, at HPP Djerdap 1 and HPP Djerdap 2) to pronounced quantities (for example, HPP Ovcar Banja and Medjuvrsje).

– There’s a possibility of cleaning the sediments from the accumulation lakes at hydro power plants, and that requires large amounts of money for hiring special technical solutions – Elektroprivreda Srbije briefly responded to eKapija’s question.

Let us remind that the realization of the biggest project within the revitalization of the Ovcar-Kablar Gorge, the long-awaited sludge removal from the Medjuvrsje Lake, was announced recently. According to the mayor of Cacak, Milun Todorovic, the final realization of that project can be expected this year.

– What awaits us is a continuation of the study and the preparation for the removal of the sludge from the Medjuvrsje Lake. That is also the biggest project, and it is worth around RSD 4 billion and I believe that we will be able to make an agreement with the Government of Hungary this year and start cleaning the Medjuvrsje Lake – he said on that occasion.

A. K.

Elektroprivreda Srbije ad Beograd

Grad Čačak

Elektroprivreda Srbije

United Nations

City of Čačak

Government of Hungary

HPP Đerdap 1

HPP Đerdap 2

HPP Ovčar Banja

HPP Međuvršje

sedimentation at hydro power plants

accumulation of sludge at hydro power plants

removal of sludge from Međuvršje Lake