Determining the Viability of West African Hydro Plant Locations through the Application of Knowledge Gradients

Abstract

The West African energy landscape is one that requires much development and expansion. Energy is the backbone of national economies as it fuels growth and allows for innovation. When analyzing solutions to close the energy gap, hydro power is the most promising solution as it offers the lowest levelized cost of electricity. Hydro power, unlike its diesel counterparts, also offers energy with lower negative environmental implications. The aim of this thesis is to devise an approach to determine the viability of hydro plant locations given limited data. The focus on limited data allows this approach to be directly applied to the West African landscape. Through use of knowledge gradients, potential hydro plant locations’ viability can be determined relative to one another, allowing for resources to be appropriately committed to viable sites. With the aim of determining which are the most viable locations based on profit and social impact, this thesis uses five different potential hydro plant locations as a case study.