Feasibility assessment of SHP potential using GIS-enhanced RS approach in poorly gauged river basin in Nigeria

Abstract

In this paper, we present the result obtained by application of RS data & GIS procedures in the identification and selection of feasible sites for hydropower projects in Oyanmi River in the Benin-Owena drainage Basin in Nigeria using Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) – Curve Number (CN) model. Catchment delineation, Sub-basin Area size, slope, CN, Land Use Land Cover (LULC), Digital Elevation Model (DEM), rainfall intensity etc. were obtained by RS and Arc GIS tools. Data on rainfall were collected from Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks-Climate Data Record (PERSIANN-CDR) for year 2018 and validated by Nigerian Metrological Services Agency (NIMET) Lokoja synoptic before utilizing it in computation of Simulated discharge. The simulated discharge was then correlated with observed data obtain from a gauging station in the study area. The correlation between observed and simulated data yielded a good correlation result of 65% and 63% for rainfall and discharge respectively with high statistical significance. Elevation extracted from the DEM were used in calculating the available head which was utilized to evaluate the hydropower potential across the 58 hydrometric mapped out points. Using the criteria that a viable SHP must have a minimum slope of 2% and 10\u2009m available head defined for this study, 11 points were identified in Oyanmi sub-basin, with feasible power potential ranging from 393.849\u2009kW to 16,038.194\u2009kW at 92% annual flow exceedance and if developed would improve access to energy and socio-economic development of the study area.