Financing of Private Hydropower Projects

Concerns about global warming and the availability of clean renewable sources of energy are increasing. However, as private companies take over state power utilities, the demand for profit has stifled those concerns. Currently the private sector is building over 40 megawatts of fossil-fuel thermal plants for each new megawatt of hydropower. This report examines the reasons for building fewer hydropower plants and looks at ways to eliminate some of the drawbacks. It studies ten privately financed hydro schemes, which represent all but the smaller projects likely to be considered for private financing in the future. The projects are located in five countries where the power sector is at different stages of maturity and deregulation. They include multi- and single-purpose projects intended for both domestic supply and export.