New technical guidelines for standards of small hydropower development internationally are to be developed under a partnership between the Government of China and UNIDO.
The guidelines will address the current limitations of the regulations applied to the planning, design, installation, commissioning, operation and management of small-scale hydroelectric generating plants. They will be used to train manufacturers, engineers and decision-makers, especially in developing countries.
“The project will help the development of efficient and sustainable SHP which will, in turn, provide the power for productive activities and create employment opportunities,” said UNIDO Director General LI Yong. “The technical guidelines will make it possible to develop small hydropower and, with training, technology transfer will become a reality,” added Li.
Minister Counsellor YAO Shenhong of the Permanent Mission of China added: “The project is an important part of the efforts of UNIDO and China to develop South-South cooperation. We expect the guidelines to be applied worldwide, especially in developing countries”.
UNIDO will coordinate the implementation of the project together with China’s Ministry of Commerce; the Ministry of Water Resources; the Standardization Administration of the People's Republic of China; and the International Center on Small Hydropower, as well as other major stakeholders. The project is being funded by China.
