Reservoir inflow pattern and its effects on hydroelectric power generation at the Kainji Dam, Niger State, Nigeria

The focus of this empirical study is to investigate the effect of reservoir inflow pattern on hydroelectric power generation in Kainji dam, Niger state, Nigeria. Investigation was conducted using data on reservoir inflow and the amount of power generated for the period of thirty years (1985-2014) from Kainji hydropower station. The trends of reservoir inflow for the time frame of study were shown using trend lines. Hypothesis was tested for the relationship between reservoir inflow and the amount of power generated using Pearson correlation coefficient. Analyses on periods with high and low inflow on the amount of power generated was achieved by getting the overall mean of power generated for the time frame of study while comparison was made on the mean monthly power generated and inflow pattern using a trend analysis. The study reveals that the low inflow period in Kainji reservoir is between April and July of each year, with an average inflow of 200m(3)/sec to 600m(3)/sec with May, June and July having below 500m(3)/sec while the amount of power generated within this period is between 200mwh, 179mwh and 146mwh respectively. The high inflow period is between September and October with the least month having an average inflow of 2700m(3)/sec to 2900m(3)/sec. This season generates a minimum of 220mwh and 232mwh. The reservoir inflow pattern shows a decreasing trend, while it exhibits fluctuations at various levels. The research indicated that reservoir inflow has a strong relationship on the amount of power generated with a correlation coefficient of 0.92. It was recommended that the government should encourage the use of other alternative sources of electricity generation in order to meet the growing demand in electricity.