KUCHING, DECEMBER 11, 2016 - Hydropower reservoirs in
Sarawak emitted low greenhouse gas (GHG),
in particularly carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) compared to other fossil
fuel power sources, a preliminary findings of a research study by an expert
showed.
Professor Yves Prairie engaged by Sarawak Energy Berhad to conduct the study on GHG emissions from hydropower reservoirs in Sarawak.
The study was conducted by Yves Prairie, a global expert
in the Study of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Aquatic Systems and a full
professor at the Université du Québec á Montréal in Canada, on GHG emissions
from tropical hydropower reservoir in Sarawak, specifically from Batang Ai
Hydroelectric Plant’s reservoir since 2014.
The preliminary findings was revealed in Phase 1 of the
research study conducted by Prairie.
His scope of research is to quantify, investigate and understand
the biogeochemical processes leading to GHG production and emissions from the
hydropower reservoir.
Dr Chen Shiun, SEB general manager for research and
development, said there still remain some uncertainties revealed in Phase 1 which
needed to be addressed in order to
better understand the dynamics of the reservoir system in terms of Carbon
Dioxide and Methane production.
Following this, the research has now entered its second
phase and a PhD student from the university has also came on board to join
Professor Prairie on the study.
This second phase will be a follow up study to further
investigate and rationalise the underlying processes leading to GHG emissions
as well as verifying emission patterns from tropical freshwater reservoirs.
Dr Chen said research
study on GHG emissions from Hydropower Reservoir project was initiated in 2010
with the aim to quantify the GHG emissions from hydropower reservoirs within
Sarawak.
Besides comparing the emission values from reservoirs
with those from fossil fuel generation plants such as natural gas and coal, the
research also aims to improve understanding of the biogeochemical processes
behind these emissions that would be useful for designing better hydropower
projects.
“Professor Prairie is assisting us in our research on
GHGs emission from Batang Ai HEP’s reservoir. As the corporation pursues
hydropower development to generate power for the state’s growth, this research
initiative is essential and aligned to our careful considerations on the impact
our operations have in terms of social, economic and environment.
"Furthermore, Sarawak Energy adopts the Hydropower
Sustainability Assessment Protocol in the development of its hydropower
projects to ensure these projects are developed in a sustainable manner,” he
said.
Professor Prairie’s scope of research is to quantify,
investigate and understand the biogeochemical processes leading to GHG
production and emissions from the hydropower reservoir.
Recently, he gave a technical talk entitled “Greenhouse
Gases From Aquatic Systems” to a group of 30 comprising staff of Sarawak
Energy, students and lecturers from Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak,
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and Universiti Teknologi MARA Sarawak at Menara
Sarawak Energy.
The talk highlighted the phenomenon on the production of
GHGs from aquatic systems, best practices to sample GHGs and the basic physical
and biological processes that affect their magnitude and also variability.
Professor Prairie holds a UNESCO Chair in Global
Environment Change and currently is the President of the International Society
of Limnology.
His research interests combine carbon and nutrient
biogeochemistry, statistical modelling of ecosystem processes and physical
limnology. Limnology is the study of inland waters like lakes, reservoirs,
rivers, wetlands and more as ecological systems interacting with their drainage
basins and the atmosphere.
The global perception of tropical reservoirs is that they
are high emitters of GHGs due to the warm climate which drives the
decomposition rate of organic matters flooded by the dam’s impoundment. This
decomposition leads to the production of carbon dioxide and methane within the
reservoir.
However, till today there remains to be very few
large-scale GHG studies conducted in tropical reservoirs, and hence this
research being conducted on tropical reservoirs is crucial in providing
scientific data which will help us to understand the true emission status of
our tropical reservoirs. -
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