ENGR0011/ Section Schaub 4:00
Group #R04
HYDROPOWER PROJECT THROUGH DAMS IN CHILE TO PROMOTE
CLEAN ENERGY FORCED TO PAUSE
Shariq Zaman (smz23@pitt.edu)
which harnessed the benefits of hydropower won the Nobel
prize in 1883[6]. In the 1940's hydropower was responsible
for half of the United States electric energy[1]. Although
not as common today, hydropower is still commonly used in
the western United States, most notably in the Hoover Dam.
Dams are the most common mechanism for hydropower.
Dams convert the moving water's kinetic energy to generate
electric power. The moving water turns the turbine blades
which in turn are used to power a generator that produces
electricity[3]. Hydropower dams are also much cleaner than
other forms of energy. They produce only 48 million metric
tons of CO2, compared to fossil fuels which produce 26.6
billion tons annually[11]. The Hoover Dam is a great
representation of hydropower in action. There are 17
turbines which serve 1.3 million people in California,
Arizona, and Nevada[1].
INTRODUCTION: HYDROPOWER PROJECT IN
PATAGONIA CHILE
The Latin American country Chile is highly reliant
on forms of energy besides fossil fuels and has recently
begun construction of a new dam in Patagonia, Chile. The
project is a proposed way to manage the country's growing
energy demands. With their booming economy and
population growth increased energy is a necessity. To
manage, Chile must double its electrical capacity over the
next 10 to 15 years[10]. The government has put much
thought to the idea of hydropower and their work would be
in accordance with all laws of the engineering code of ethics.
Even more specifically it would be in accordance with the
Electrical Engineering code of ethics. These rules of ethics
are very important to engineering, for the simple fact that we
engineers must always have to make morally tough
decisions. The code of ethics helps ease our burden when
making these decisions. In this case one code of ethic " to
maintain and improve our technical competence and to
undertake technological tasks for others only if qualified by
training or experience, or after full disclosure of pertinent
limitations;" clearly shows that we as a world and Chile as a
country must move forward [12]. Therefore it is essential
that they build this dam to rely less on non renewable
resources and more on renewable resources. Learning and
studying about ethics early on also makes will help us be
more prepared for when we enter the professional world of
engineering. With a hydropower dam the rivers of Patagonia
would provide a very efficient and clean form of energy,
hydroelectric power, but recently the people of Chile have
been strongly against the creation of a dam. At the most
recent march there was a crowd of over 4,000 people
protesting the dam's construction[10]. Environmental
activism groups have even managed to stop the construction
process. They believe that the environment they are
destroying is more important to their country than Chile's
economic and industrial growth as a nation. My beliefs are
contrary to those of the activists I believe the Chilean
government should continue to move forward with and
finish the project to satisfy energy demands of their country
in a clean and efficient way.
HOW CHILE PLANS TO UTILIZE HYDROPOWER
Chile's current energy capacity is made up of 34%
hydropower. Their plan is to increase that number to 50%
over the course of the next two decades[9]. On May 9, 2011
Chile approved the project to dam two rivers in Patagonia.
These dams would provide 2.75 gigawatts of electricity,
which would be equal to a third of Chile's current power[2].
The dam would greatly improve Chile's economic situation.
Currently they import 97% of their fossil fuels[2]. The
completion of the dam would aid in alleviating energy
concerns as well as helping to move Chile into a group of
elite countries in the world. They already have immense
mineral wealth and an economy on the rise. In order to make
two dams they require a lot of space only 36 families will
have to be relocated, but many of which do not have any
desire to move away from their homes, homes that many of
them worked very hard to build.[10] The construction of the
dams would require the Chileans to tear up 14,000 acres of
land, construct 1,180 miles of transmission lines, and
eliminate whitewater rapids and waterfalls, with the latter
two comprising a vast majority of Chile's tourism
revenue.[8]. Along with that they would be destroying
habitat for the endangered Southern Huemul deer, a national
symbol, which currently only has less than a thousand in
existence. Yet the biggest hurdle facing the project is that
when the project was first approved, 61% of Chilean people
were in opposition of it[4]. It is extremely difficult to get
something done when it is so widely opposed.
WHAT IS HYDROPOWER
Hydropower is a form of energy that uses water to
make electricity that first began in the 1880's[6]. Usually
overshadowed by the more popular alternative energy forms
solar or wind power, it still accounts for 16% of the world's
electricity[4]. It first became famous when the water wheel
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering
CURRENT STATUS OF PROJECT
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Shariq Zaman
Since May 2012 the hydropower project has been
in uncertainty. The Chilean government has been forced to
halt the project. Environmentalist groups in Chile are very
motivated to put a definite end to the project. They recently
halted the project so there could be a new survey of the
geology and soil at the proposed dam sites. After the survey
the government will hold a new vote on the project[5].
Along with that Colbun, the president of HidroAysen, which
is the organization responsible for the building of the dam
has threatened to pull out of the project. Colbun has been
very frightened of the negative publicity due to the fact that
the government has been swaying back and forth on the
issue and how enraged the public has been with the building
and the whole project in general. This harmful publicity is
not good for him nor his business and is causing him to also
rethink if the construction of the dam is in everyone's best
interest[7]. Chile has currently spent seven billion dollars on
a project that at this time has not moved forward since its
suspension[2] If it doesn't get underway soon the tax burden
will only grow.
Why the code of ethics are important
Engineering code of ethics are very important to all
engineers so that they can maintain a very high ethical
reputation. All engineers must work by the code to guarantee
safety for not only themselves but the public. The moral and
ethical dilemma therefore is solved with broad engineering
code of ethics and specific code of ethics. In this case I
believe HidroAysen and the Chilean government have been
completely ethical. Colbun has been extremely careful for he
believes and follows one specific rule of the code of ethics, "
Engineers shall at all times strive to serve the public interest."
But in this case he is mislead, because for the majority of the
Chilean people, these dams will help the economy of Chile,
and therefore help each individual person [12]. For example
before the project began HidroAysen informed the Chilean
government of what was needed for this project to be
completed. The Chilean government then informed the
public, and was more than willing to move the families that
needed to be relocated. This clearly exemplifies " to accept
responsibility in making engineering decisions consistent
with the safety, health and welfare of the public, and to
disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public or
the environment" [14]. HidroAysen was also more than
cooperative with providing estimates on the dams, this
epitomizes another important rule of ethics of electrical
engineering "to be honest and realistic in stating claims or
estimates based on available data." These points clearly
make the point stronger that the Chilean government is
doing the right thing by attempting to make the project go
forward. Therefore it is becoming extremely clear that all do
it is unfair that a few families must relocate the government
is doing the right thing and adapting and preparing for a new
era, Renewable resources are necessary and they must
prepare themselves. Dams are a great source of renewable
energy and will therefore help make this country become
one of the most elite in the world.
HOW TO MOVE FORWARD
As an electrical engineering major at the university
of Pittsburgh, with a father who is currently a Chief
Environmental Engineer for the Department of
Environmental Protection I find this project extremely
compelling, and can relate to these issues personally. It
raises the famous question many ask of themselves "when
does the economic benefit outweigh the environmentally
destructive consequences, and to what degree are we willing
to go?" Also with my father being an chief engineer I
understand how important the code of ethics really is. My
dad has seen and told me many of stories where engineers
did not follow the code of ethics or common engineering
procedures and was forced to let them go from their job. In
a situation such as Chile's I believe that they must keep
moving forward. The project has already gone too far to be
scrapped, if they pull out now it would be catastrophic waste
of taxpayers' dollars. Too much time and effort has been put
into the project for them to put it into a halt. Along with that
the potential benefits of finishing the project far outweigh
the benefits of stopping. Chile has no other viable source of
energy. With their growing economy they need more
alternative energy sources. Importing 97% of their fossil
fuels is not very efficient, and this project could greatly
decrease their dependency on foreign oil. The president of
Chile Sebastian Pinera has said " there are no energy supply
problems facing our government, but if we don’t make
decisions today we are condemning our country to a
blackout near the end of this decade”[10]. He is completely
correct in suggesting to move forward and to expand their
country's mining sector, the center of their economy, they
need more energy. Hydropower is much cleaner and the high
and rapid rivers of Patagonia would be a perfect place for a
dam.
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering
Why learning ethics helps
I believe all universities and colleges should
implement some type of writing project for engineers to
learn about ethics. Engineers are very social people, they
must constantly send emails and papers back and forth
between companies and other engineers. To display proper
professionalism and sophistication we cannot be making
rudimentary errors in our writing. Clearly writing is for that
reason an essential part of engineering, and to learn about
ethics not only prepares, but also gives us more insight on
the field in general. When we are writing we are broadening
our horizons and learning more about the topic. A proven
statistic shows that writing summaries of texts helps students
to identify key claims, patterns of reasoning, and use of
evidence [13]. So we are gaining plenty of knowledge not
only on current issues of engineering but also the ethics that
all engineers must live by. At the same time we are
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Shariq Zaman
improving our grammar, word choice, and structure to
prepare us for more technical writing which will be used
when we enter the field of engineering. So I believe learning
and writing essays about ethics improves our knowledge on
the field of engineering while also increasing our writing
capabilities which will make us all better engineers.
2012.
(Online
Article).
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/10/chilehydroelectric-dam
[3] Edomonson, R. "Tell Me Why?" What Is Hydropower?
14 Sept. 2007. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. (Online Report)
<http://www.tellmewhyfacts.com/2007/09/what-ishydropower.html>.
[4] Galbraith, Kate. "GREEN COLUMN; The Resurgence
of Hydropower -- and the Controversy Surrounding It." The
New York Times. The New York Times, 16 May 2011. Web.
08
Oct.
2012.
(Online
Article)
<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/16/business/global/16ihtgreen16.html?pagewanted=all>.
[5] Gyulev, Dobromir. "Chile Supreme Court Pauses 640MW Hydropower Project." Renewable Energy News from
around the World. 14 May 2012. Web. 08 Oct. 2012.
(Online
Article).
<http://renewables.seenews.com/news/chile-supreme-courtpauses-640-mw-hydropower-project-275024>.
[6] "Hoover Dam Power." Bureau of Reclamation. Web. 08
Oct.
2012.
(Online
Report).
<http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/faqs/powerfaq.html>.
"Hydroelectric Power." About. Web. 08 Oct. 2012.
[7] Leff, Alex. "Will Chile Put Lights out on That Dam
Project?" Globalpost. 31 May 2012. Web. 8 Oct.
2012.
(Online
Report).
<http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpostblogs/chatter/chile-patagonia-hydro-power-projecthidroaysen-colbun>.
[8] Webber, Jude. "Protests over Chile’s Hydroelectric
Project." Financial Times. 10 May 2011. Web. 8 Oct. 2012.
(Online Article). <http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/734e14a67b35-11e0-9b06-00144feabdc0.html#axzz28iwfVo6c>.
[9] Crellin, Olivia. "Chile with 50% Hydro Power by 2034,
but Serious Energy Shortages in 2015." MercoPress.
Oct. 2012. Web. 8 Oct. 2012. (Online Article).
<http://en.mercopress.com/2012/01/16/chile-with-50-hydropower-by-2034-but-serious-energy-shortages-in-2015>.
[10] Alexei Barrionuevo; Aaron Nelsen And Pascale
Bonnefoy Contributed. "Plan for Hydroelectric Dam in
Patagonia Outrages Chileans." The New York Times. The
New York Times, 17 June 2011. Web. 08 Oct. 2012.
[Online
Article].
<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/17/world/americas/17chi
le.html?pagewanted=all>.
[11] Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Dams FAQ."
International
Rivers.
Web.
08
Oct.
2012.
<http://www.internationalrivers.org/resources/greenhousegas-emissions-from-dams-faq-4064>
[12] NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers." NSPE Code of
Ethics
for
Engineers.
Web.
29
Oct.
2012.
<http://www.nspe.org/Ethics/CodeofEthics/index.html>.
[13] How Can Writing Help Students Learn Content?"
Writing and Humanistic Studies. Web. 29 Oct. 2012.
<http://writing.mit.edu/wac/teachingresources/integrating/fir
stprinciples/writinglearncontent>.
Conclusion: Why they must finish
In conclusion, for Chile to keep moving forward
and economically growing at its established pace, it must
finish completing the dam. They are too far along to stop the
project now. The people are clearly scared and worried, and
although they have a right to be, I think much of that fear
stems from distortion of facts. One writer Luis Sepúlveda
stated that the transmission line would shape a path of
“23,000 soccer stadiums, one after the other” through
Patagonia. Mr. Fernández, HidroAysen's chief executive
officer, has clarified that the line would carve a much
narrower footprint [10]. Chile has the motivation and desire
to become a great country. However, If they do not complete
this dam, their current energy capacity will not be sufficient
enough to satisfy their energy demands. The production of
the dam will save them a lot of money on fossil fuels, which
could be used to expand mining, their agriculture, or even
put to use preserving the Chileans natural environment. The
people may be scared of change now, but the government is
fully aware of what they are doing, not only to the people
but also to the environment. All engineering ethics are
followed exactly, although the situation cannot be one
hundred percent morally correct, it is the best decision that
they can make. In a case like this the economic benefits
outweigh environmental destruction caused by the creation
of this dam. As a future engineer and learning how important
ethics are, with a dad who is a chief environmental engineer
i understand now why decisions like these are not easy
decisions to make. But while learning about ethics i came
across a section that stated "Engineers are encouraged to
participate in civic affairs; career guidance for youths; and
work for the advancement of the safety, health, and wellbeing of their community." and the well being of the
community will be greatly increased with the creation of the
dam.
REFERENCES
[1] "AE Kids : Hydro Power." AE Kids : Hydro Power.
Web.
08
Oct.
2012.
(Online
Report).<http://www.alliantenergykids.com/energyandTheE
nvironment/RenewableEnergy/022399>.
[2] "Chile Approves $7bn Hydroelectric Dam in Patagonian
Wilderness." The Guardian. 10 May 2011. Web. 8 Oct.
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering
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Shariq Zaman
[14] The Fundamental Principles." IEEE (Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Code of Ethics.
Web.
29
Oct.
2012.
<http://www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/ceverba1/Class/e5_200
3/e5_11_28/Ethics.html>.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you Dad for instilling your work ethic and love of
anything and all things engineering.
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering
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