Rural hydropower renovation project implementation in China: A review of renovation planning, renovation schemes and guarantee mechanisms

With the recognition of the external benefits of rural hydropower (RHP), much attention has been devoted to the development of RHP in China. However, investigations on a large number of sites built before 1995 show that issues such as aging problems and poor management have hampered the development of rural hydropower plants (RHPPs). Firstly, this paper reviews the existing status of RHP׳s development and rural hydropower renovation planning from 2011 to 2015 in China. The key challenges that are existing for these renovation projects are summarized. Secondly, renovation schemes with a specialized management framework responsible for project proceedings, subsidies allocation and environmental impact supervision are elaborated for the renovation project. Thirdly, a guarantee mechanism is analysed, which will promote the scale-up development of RHP, including fund management, property rights reform and feed-in tariff improvements. Finally, a realistic application case (Zhejiang renovation programme) is used to describe the implementation process and effect of renovation project in details.