4.5 Electricity generation from hydropower (climate change mitigation)

Kurzbeschreibung

Construction or operation of electricity generation facilities that produce electricity from hydropower. The economic activities in this category could be associated with several NACE codes, in particular D35.11 and F42.22 in accordance with the statistical classification of economic activities established by Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006. ___________ ( 161 ) Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2012 concerning the making available on the market and use of biocidal products (OJ L 167, 27.6.2012, p. 1).

Wirtschaftsaktivität (EU-Taxonomie)

Rechtsakt: 2021/2139, Anhang I, Abschnitt 4.5 · ENERGY

Umweltziel: climate change mitigation

NACE-Codes: D35.11, F42.22

Beschreibung

Construction or operation of electricity generation facilities that produce electricity from hydropower. The economic activities in this category could be associated with several NACE codes, in particular D35.11 and F42.22 in accordance with the statistical classification of economic activities established by Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006. ___________ ( 161 ) Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2012 concerning the making available on the market and use of biocidal products (OJ L 167, 27.6.2012, p. 1).

Technische Bewertungskriterien

Technical screening criteria Substantial contribution to climate change mitigation The activity complies with either of the following criteria: (a) the electricity generation facility is a run-of-river plant and does not have an artificial reservoir; (b) the power density of the electricity generation facility is above 5 W/m 2 ; (c) the life-cycle GHG emissions from the generation of electricity from hydropower, are lower than 100 g CO 2 e/kWh. The life-cycle GHG emissions are calculated using Recommendation 2013/179/EU or, alternatively, using ISO 14067:2018 ( 162 ), ISO 14064-1:2018 ( 163 ) or the G-res tool ( 164 ). Quantified life- cycle GHG emissions are verified by an independent third party. Do no significant harm (‘DNSH’) (2) Climate change adaptation The activity complies with the criteria set out in Appendix A to this Annex. (3) Sustainable use and protection of water and marine resources 1. The activity complies with the provisions of Directive 2000/60/EC, in particular with all the requirements laid down in Article 4 of the Directive. 2. For operation of existing hydropower plants, including refurbishment activities to enhance renewable energy or energy storage potential, the activity complies with the following criteria: 2.1. In accordance with Directive 2000/60/EC and in particular Articles 4 and 11 of that Directive, all technically feasible and ecologically relevant mitigation measures have been implemented to reduce adverse impacts on water as well as on protected habitats and species directly dependent on water. 2.2. Measures include, where relevant and depending on the ecosystems naturally present in the affected water bodies: (a) measures to ensure downstream and upstream fish migration (such as fish friendly turbines, fish guidance structures, state-of-the-art fully functional fish passes, measures to stop or minimise operation and discharges during migration or spawning); (b) measures to ensure minimum ecological flow (including mitigation of rapid, short-term variations in flow or hydro-peaking operations) and sediment flow; (c) measures to protect or enhance habitats. _____________ ( 162 ) ISO standard 14067:2018, Greenhouse gases — Carbon footprint of products — Requirements and guidelines for quantification (version of 4.6.2021: https://www.iso.org/standard/71206.html). ( 163 ) ISO standard 14064-1:2018, Greenhouse gases — Part 1: Specification with guidance at the organization level for quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals (version of 4.6.2021: https://www.iso.org/standard/66453.html). ( 164 ) Publicly available online tool developed by the International Hydropower Association (IHA) in collaboration with the UNESCO Chair for Global Environmental Change (version of 4.6.2021: https://www.hydropower.org/gres). 2.3. The effectiveness of those measures is monitored in the context of the authorisation or permit setting out the conditions aimed at achieving good status or potential of the affected water body. 3. For construction of new hydropower plants, the activity complies with the following criteria: 3.1. In accordance with Article 4 of Directive 2000/60/EC and in particular paragraph 7 of that Article, prior to construction, an impact assessment of the project is carried out to assess all its potential impacts on the status of water bodies within the same river basin and on protected habitats and species directly dependent on water, considering in particular migration corridors, free-flowing rivers or ecosystems close to undisturbed conditions. The assessment is based on recent, comprehensive and accurate data, including monitoring data on biological quality elements that are specifically sensitive to hydromorphological alterations, and on the expected status of the water body as a result of the new activities, as compared to its current one. It assesses in particular the cumulated impacts of this new project with other existing or planned infrastructure in the river basin. 3.2. On the basis of that impact assessment, it has been established that the plant is conceived, by design and location and by mitigation measures, so that it complies with one of the following requirements: (a) the plant does not entail any deterioration nor compromises the achievement of good status or potential of the specific water body it relates to; (b) where the plant risks to deteriorate or compromise the achievement of good status/potential of the specific water body it relates to, such deterioration is not significant, and is justified by a detailed cost- benefit assessment demonstrating both of the following: (i) the reasons of overriding public interest or the fact that benefits expected from the planned hydropower plant outweigh the costs from deteriorating the status of water that are accruing to the environment and to society; (ii) the fact that the overriding public interest or the benefits expected from the plant cannot, for reasons of technical feasibility or dispro­ portionate cost, be achieved by alternative means that would lead to a better environmental outcome (such as refurbishing of existing hydropower plants or use of technologies not disrupting river continuity). _____________ ( 162 ) ISO standard 14067:2018, Greenhouse gases — Carbon footprint of products — Requirements and guidelines for quantification (version of 4.6.2021: https://www.iso.org/standard/71206.html). 3.3. All technically feasible and ecologically relevant mitigation measures are implemented to reduce adverse impacts on water as well as on protected habitats and species directly dependent on water. Mitigation measures include, where relevant and depending on the ecosystems naturally present in the affected water bodies: (a) measures to ensure downstream and upstream fish migration (such as fish friendly turbines, fish guidance structures, state-of the-art fully functional fish passes, measures to stop or minimise operation and discharges during migration or spawning); (b) measures to ensure minimum ecological flow (including mitigation of rapid, short-term variations in flow or hydro-peaking operations) and sediment flow; (c) measures to protect or enhance habitats. The effectiveness of those measures is monitored in the context of the authorisation or permit setting out the conditions aimed at achieving good status or potential of the affected water body. 3.4. The plant does not permanently compromise the achievement of good status/potential in any of the water bodies in the same river basin district. 3.5. In addition to the mitigation measures referred to above, and where relevant, compensatory measures are implemented to ensure that the project does not increase the fragmentation of water bodies in the same river basin district. This is achieved by restoring continuity within the same river basin district to an extent that compensates the disruption of continuity, which the planned hydropower plant may cause. Compen­ sation starts prior to the execution of the project. (4) Transition to a circular economy N/A (5) Pollution prevention and control N/A (6) Protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems The activity complies with the criteria set out in Appendix D to this Annex ( 165 ).