Potential Sites of Hydropower Opportunity

This data shows the location of opportunities for hydropower and the basic environmental sensitivity associated with exploiting them in Wales.

Barriers are identified and assessed in this project. The term barriers is used to describe sites with sufficient drop to provide a hydropower opportunity. They are mostly weirs, but could also be other man-made structures or natural features, such as waterfalls. The average maximum power generation capacity on a barrier was 45Kw, with a total potential capacity of 1178Mw.

Environmental sensitivities were assessed. This assessment considered the presence of fish species and whether the site has been designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Almost half (46%) of these barriers are classified as highly sensitive, mostly because of the presence of migratory fish species such as salmon and eel. 27% are medium and high sensitivity, and the remainder are unclassified due to a lack of data.

When it is assumed that a new scheme has a fish pass built into it, the environmentally compatible opportunities increase considerably. Given the scale of the project and the data used, the results are not intended to replace any part of an individual site assessment. Instead, the dataset gives national and regional level overviews of the potential opportunities available, their locations, and their relative environmental sensitivity to exploitation.

Identifier: NRW_DS116256

Alternative Title

River Obstructions.LYR
AfA175 Potential Sites of Hydropower Opportunity

Metadata Language: English

Lineage: These data are intended to provide a general national overview of the potential hydropower opportunities available, their locations, and their relative environmental sensitivity to exploitation.

At site-level, there will be some error inherent in the results as the map uses a national GIS dataset that is based on various sources. One-third of the sites where older Synthetic Aperture RADAR (SAR) data was used for the height estimate include an error of up to one metre. The remaining two-thirds use ‘Light Detection and Ranging’ (LiDAR), which is accurate to 25cm. This means that the data for an individual site may be inaccurate, but at the national and regional level the error will be averaged out to an extent. There is not a high level of confidence in the power generation calculation. The power category takes account of this uncertainty.

These data are indicative only and are not intended to replace any part of an individual site assessment, which is necessary for a full scheme appraisal.

Barriers were identified by assessing natural and manmade features identified in OS MasterMap - Topography. Height has been assigned to the barriers using 25cm LiDAR data in addition to flow derived from LowFLows Enterprise. Potential power has been calculated using flow and height.

Please note: this data was produced for the purposes of an EA project in 2010 and no updates have been undertaken to it since then.

Dataset Reference Date (Publication): 2010-01-01

Temporal Extent

Begin date: 2010-01-01

End date: 2010-01-01

Topic category

Inland waters
Environment

Owner

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) -

Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales

http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en

Originator

Environment Agency Wales -

Environment Agency Wales, Cambria House, 29 Newport Road, Cardiff, CF24 0TP

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/regions/wales

Originator

Environment Agency (EA) -

Environment Agency Wales, Cambria House, 29 Newport Road, Cardiff, CF24 0TP

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/

Extent

Geographic Extent: Wales (WLS)

Format Type and Description

Geographic Information System ( Unknown )

Specification

ESRI Feature Class

Data quality

Quality Scope: Dataset

Conformity: Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services
Explanation: This dataset has not been assessed for conformance to the referenced INSPIRE regulation.
Degree: false

Lineage: These data are intended to provide a general national overview of the potential hydropower opportunities available, their locations, and their relative environmental sensitivity to exploitation.

At site-level, there will be some error inherent in the results as the map uses a national GIS dataset that is based on various sources. One-third of the sites where older Synthetic Aperture RADAR (SAR) data was used for the height estimate include an error of up to one metre. The remaining two-thirds use ‘Light Detection and Ranging’ (LiDAR), which is accurate to 25cm. This means that the data for an individual site may be inaccurate, but at the national and regional level the error will be averaged out to an extent. There is not a high level of confidence in the power generation calculation. The power category takes account of this uncertainty.

These data are indicative only and are not intended to replace any part of an individual site assessment, which is necessary for a full scheme appraisal.

Barriers were identified by assessing natural and manmade features identified in OS MasterMap - Topography. Height has been assigned to the barriers using 25cm LiDAR data in addition to flow derived from LowFLows Enterprise. Potential power has been calculated using flow and height.

Please note: this data was produced for the purposes of an EA project in 2010 and no updates have been undertaken to it since then.

Keywords

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0

Energy resources

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2008-06-01

Code: geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.httpinspireeceuropaeutheme-theme

Keywords

NRW Thesaurus

energy resource
energy supply
energy technology
energy

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2025-01-08

Code: geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-keywords

Keywords

NRW SMNR Keywords

Management Areas (SMNR)
Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (SMNR)
Natural Resources (Incl. Features and Processes) (SMNR)
Energy (SMNR)
Hydrological Processes (SMNR)
Water Resources (SMNR)
Freshwater and Wetlands (SMNR)
Ecosystem (SMNR)
Water Quality (SMNR)

Type: Theme

Citation

Date (Publication): 2024-06-26

Code: geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-smnr-keywords

Code: British National Grid (EPSG::27700)

Content Information

NRW Profile

Custom Elements

Constraints

Limitations on Public Access and Use

Restriction type: Other restrictions

Access Constraints Directive

Limitations: no limitations

Access Constraints Text

Other constraints: Part of this dataset is sensitive, and access may be restricted under relevant legislation. NRW may NOT publish or disseminate the sensitive data. Requests should be referred to NRW's Access to Information Officer. However, there are no access restrictions on non-sensitive data. NRW may release, publish or disseminate a redacted version of the data freely.

Use Constraints

Use constraints type: Other restrictions

Other constraints: © CNC/NRW. NRW does NOT grant permission to third parties to re-use or disseminate the full dataset. A redacted version of the data may be re-used under the terms of the Open Government Licence providing it is done so, acknowledging both the source and NRW's copyright. It is the recipient's responsibility to ensure the data is fit for the intended purpose.

Attribution Statement

Licence

Other constraints: Not Licenced for Re-use

Metadata

File Identifier: 4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-313136323536 XML

Metadata Language: English

Resource type: Dataset

Metadata Date: 2025-12-03T14:06:59.762Z

Metadata Standard Name: NRW

Metadata Standard Version: 1.0

pointOfContact

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) -

Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales

http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en

Publishing Body

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Full access to the portal and metadata.

Potential Sites of Hydropower Opportunity

Identification

Temporal Extent

Extent

Extent

Distribution

Quality

Data quality

Keywords

Keywords

Citation

Keywords

Citation

Keywords

Citation

Spatial Reference System

Content

Content Information

NRW Profile

Custom Elements

Constraints

Constraints

Limitations on Public Access and Use

Access Constraints Directive

Access Constraints Text

Use Constraints

Attribution Statement

Licence

Metadata

Metadata

Publishing Body