Working Groups (WGs) are established under ETIP HYDROPOWER by gathering experts from different hydropower sectors and stakeholder groups to focus on the R&I priorities and strategic actions identified in the RIA and SIR.

Membership of the WGs is on a voluntary basis; if you would like to join a WG please send an email to the ETIP HYDROPOWER secretariat (secretariat@etip-hydropower.eu) expressing your interest and we will connect you with the relevant WG chair person.

The duties, roles and tasks of the WGs are described in the “Terms of Reference for the ETIP Hydropower” and may include the following tasks (amongst others):

• drafting of synthetic white papers with accessible messages to increase decision maker and public awareness
• identifying, prioritizing and drafting details of key Hydropower Research & Innovation needs
• drafting technical statement reports
• helping to facilitate strategic actions of the ETIP Secretariat and Chairing team  

New working groups can be proposed through the ETIP HYDROPOWER general assembly.  Anyone can join the general assembly, by registering their details online at: https://hydro-consultation.eu/participant-area/  

In 2024, the ETIP HYDROPOWER Governing Board implemented four initial working groups, comprising:

WG1:   Hydropower role for flexibility and storage

General scope to:

• Establish and communicate with accessible language what flexibility and storage needs mean
• Show the key and increasing role of Hydropower in response to these flexibility and storage needs, including market evolution consideration
  • • Identify implications for operation, maintenance and resilience of existing equipment, identify the potential of innovations: XFLEX-Hydro innovations deployment, needs of new assets (pumped-storage), etc.

WG2:   Hydropower and Biodiversity

General scope to:

• Highlight in accessible language state-of-the-art hydropower plants and existing solutions to key biodiversity issues politically discussed at national and EU level (implementation of RED III and the Nature Restoration Regulation at national level; CIS WG discussion on free flowing rivers, e-flows, sediment management, water quality in reservoir, GHG emissions, etc.)
• Produce concise fact-sheets with actual representative case studies and update/maintain bibliography of scientific articles
• Identify needs for developing environmentally compatible solutions, incl. eco-design solutions, environmental footprint and LCA issues
•  Foster the cooperation with national and European decision-makers and regulatory agencies
  • • Help work on social acceptance of hydropower infrastructure

WG3:   Hydropower and Climate Change (adaptation and mitigation)

General scope to:

• Scope covers both climate adaptation (resilience) and climate mitigation (reduction of GHG emissions)
• Establish and communicate with accessible language what are the key issues in relation to climate change, both in terms of risks and opportunities :
  • • Risks: reduction of inflows in some regions à uncertainty on flow risk evolution
    • Opportunities: increase of inflows in some other regions à new equipment in periglacial areas; hydropower reservoirs as multi-purpose tools to increase the resilience of combined Hydro-Solar, Hydro-Wind power solutions to reduce GHG emissions in power generation; etc.
• Illustrate issues with some representative case studies
  • • Identify R&I needs for increasing knowledge and develop solutions to limit climate change risk, and foster climate-induced opportunities

WGA:  Overview on past and current European R&I projects for hydropower – Horizon projects: follow up and results dissemination

General scope to:

• Follow-up the Horizon projects related to hydropower
• Inform regularly with a newsletter on the progress of these projects
• Motivate and facilitate the organization of Special sessions at conferences with hydropower as a topic on the outcomes of these projects
  • • Create a discussion forum among these projects with short webinars

If you would like to join one or more of these WGs please advise us by email to secretariat@etip-hydropower.eu. 

If you would like to join the ETIP HYDROPOWER General Assembly, please register at https://hydro-consultation.eu/participant-area/. 

 

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