Benefits for Different Users 

HydroSelect can be used by anyone considering hydropower project options and seeking early identification of sustainability risks. Benefits of use of HydroSelect for various users are: 

  • Hydropower developers – HydroSelect provides a structured evaluation tool that can help guide removal of some hydropower project options from further consideration, guide further assessment priorities, and support recommended project option(s). Developers may include companies, governments, and/or financial institutions. HydroSelect will enable developers to: Demonstrate how a hydropower project option has been selected, or which project options have not been selected and why, based on consideration of sustainability factors; 

    • Stimulate early project planning to include “front-end loading” on sustainability matters; and 

    • Understand important sustainability risks that should be evaluated more fully and/or have preparation actions undertaken during the feasibility stage. 

  • Consultants – HydroSelect provides a tool that consultants can use when proposing hydropower project options, providing hydropower options evaluations, and undertaking project option risk assessments at the early stage. 

  • Investors and financial institutions – HydroSelect can further support proposals by developers to investors and lenders to show that a hydropower project is likely to be bankable and sustainable. Investors and financial institutions can consider the ESG Risks included in HydroSelect alongside their own project evaluation processes. 

  • Government energy planners – HydroSelect provides inputs that can potentially be used by government energy planners to assist with strategic energy planning, including whether or not hydropower project options should be further considered. 

  • Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) – HydroSelect provides an internationally-applicable framework for early considerations about hydropower project options. NGOs can ask questions informed by HydroSelect once developer intentions for a particular hydropower project are made public. 

  • Members of the public – As well as the same benefits as for NGOs, HydroSelect provides insights for all members of the public on important sustainability questions and focal areas for hydropower project options.