ETIP HYDROPOWER and EERA launch joint FP10 position paper

ETIP HYDROPOWER and the EERA Joint Programme Hydropower have jointly released a new position paper calling for stronger recognition of hydropower in the next EU Framework Programme (FP10) and for the establishment of a dedicated SET Plan Implementation Working Group on Hydropower 

Titled “Hydropower for a Resilient, Secure, and Competitive Europe”, the paper underlines that achieving Europe’s objectives on industrial competitiveness, sovereignty and security of supply requires increased dispatchable, domestically anchored clean electricity capacity — a role that hydropower is uniquely equipped to fulfil.

A strategic asset for Europe’s energy system

As electrification accelerates and variable renewables expand, Europe’s power system requires more flexibility and long-duration storage. Hydropower — including reservoir, run-of-river and pumped-storage — is the only proven large-scale technology capable of providing balancing services from milliseconds to seasonal storage.

Today, hydropower accounts for 16% of EU electricity consumption, while pumped-storage hydropower provides around 46 GW of flexible capacity across Europe. Multiple analyses indicate that storage capacity will need to at least double by 2050 to ensure system stability in a climate-neutral energy system.

Beyond flexibility, the paper highlights hydropower’s integrated contribution to:

• Strategic autonomy and industrial competitiveness
• Affordable and stable electricity prices
• Climate neutrality and low lifecycle emissions
• Water resilience and climate adaptation
• Environmental protection and biodiversity
• Addressing the funding gap

Despite its system-wide value, hydropower has historically received limited EU research and innovation support. Between 1995 and 2015, it represented only 1% of total renewable energy R&I funding under EU Framework Programmes.

The joint paper therefore calls for:

• A targeted increase in hydropower funding under FP10;
• Stronger coordination of research, innovation and industrial deployment through a dedicated SET Plan Implementation Working Group on Hydropower 

The document also sets out ten priority research and innovation areas covering climate adaptation, pumped-storage expansion, digitalisation, environmental performance, manufacturing innovation, market design and GHG accounting.

With FP10 discussions underway, ETIP HYDROPOWER and EERA emphasise that hydropower is a Made-in-Europe technology that strengthens energy security, competitiveness and resilience. Ensuring its full integration into Europe’s research and innovation agenda is essential for a secure and decarbonised power system.

Read the full position paper here

Hydropower has been a cornerstone of Europe’s energy system for decades. It is reliable, flexible, and renewable. Yet today, hydropower operators face new challenges: ageing infrastructure, increasing climate variability, environmental constraints, soaring energy demands, and the need for more efficient and data-informed decision-making.

To explore how these challenges can be tackled by digital innovation, the Di-Hydro project has launched the Di-Hydro Podcast Series. This podcast focuses on the digital transformation of hydropower.

The podcast is designed to bridge research, industry, and practice, offering listeners a clear view of how emerging digital tools are being applied to real hydropower systems across Europe.

What is the Di-Hydro Podcast about?

The Di-Hydro Podcast Series takes listeners on a journey from the historical origins of hydropower to where it is now, and, most importantly, where is it going. Through accessible yet technically grounded discussions, the series explores how technologies such as sensors, Artificial Intelligence, predictive analytics, and Digital Twins can change how hydropower plants are operated, maintained, and integrated into modern energy systems.

Rather than focusing on theory alone, the podcast highlights practical solutions developed within the Di-Hydro project, an EU-funded initiative working to support hydropower plant managers and operators with better insights into infrastructure health, environmental conditions, and operational performance.

At its core, the podcast asks a simple but crucial question:
How can digitalisation support hydropower plants make better decisions, especially when it comes to maintenance, efficiency, and resilience?

Voices from the project and beyond

Each episode of the Di-Hydro Podcast features experts directly involved in the project, including researchers, engineers, and technicians from both the digital technology and hydropower sectors. 

The conversations focus on to unpack complex topics without oversimplifying them, making the podcast relevant both to sector professionals and to a broader audience interested in renewable energy and sustainability in Europe.

From history to digital innovation: episodes so far

The series opens with Episode 0 – Discovering Hot Water: Hydropower in History, which takes listeners back to the roots of hydropower. From ancient water wheels in Greece and China to the first hydroelectric plants of the 19th century, the episode sets the stage by showing that hydropower has been there to fuel human ingenuity.

Episode 1 – From History to Digital Innovation: the Di-Hydro project moves firmly into the present. In this episode, listeners are introduced to the Di-Hydro project itself through a conversation with the project coordinator Dr. Alkiviadis Tromaras from CERTH. The discussion focuses on how digital tools can help hydropower plants “understand themselves” better. In fact, by monitoring infrastructure conditions, anticipating failures, and supporting maintenance planning before problems become critical, it is possible to make hydropower plants more efficient, resilient to environmental changes, and possible produce more energy.

Future episodes will dive deeper into specific aspects of the project, including:

• Digital tools for predictive maintenance and decision support,
• The role of Digital Twins in hydropower operations,
• Real-world Use Cases in Greece, Italy, and Serbia, where Di-Hydro solutions are being tested in operational plants.

How Di-Hydro approaches digitalised hydropower

At a high level, Di-Hydro aims to reduce uncertainty in hydropower operations.

By combining historical data, real-time sensor information, and advanced digital models, the project develops tools that help operators answer questions such as:

• When is the optimal time to perform maintenance on critical components?
• How will changing water flows or weather conditions affect operations?
• How can plants balance efficiency, safety, and environmental performance?

Rather than replacing human expertise, Di-Hydro’s digital solutions are designed to support decision-making, offering plant managers clearer insights and stronger evidence when planning maintenance and operational strategies.

What will you find in the Di-Hydro Podcast series?

Listeners to the Di-Hydro Podcast can expect:

• Clear explanations of complex digital concepts,
• Insights from experts working directly on hydropower innovation,
• Real-world examples from operational plants,
• An honest look at both the opportunities and challenges of digitalising hydropower.

The podcast is available on major podcast platforms, including Spotify, Amazon Music, and others, making it easy to follow and listen on any device.

Stay connected: subscribe to the Di-Hydro Newsletter

To stay up to date with new podcast episodes, project milestones, and broader developments in hydropower and digitalisation, readers are invited to subscribe to the Di-Hydro Newsletter.
Subscribers receive regular updates on project activities, insights from the European hydropower community, and curated content on digital innovation in renewable energy.

It’s a wrap!

As we reach the end of the year, we would like to take a moment to reflect on a period marked by strengthened collaboration and increased efforts for more visibility for hydropower within Europe’s agenda.

This year, ETIP HYDROPOWER delivered a set of key results that have already reached a wide audience across the sector. Our White Papers on flexibility, biodiversity, and climate change, together with a series of educational videos, have provided stakeholders with accessible and reliable references on hydropower’s role in addressing critical challenges. These materials continue to support policymakers, researchers, and industry actors in understanding how hydropower can contribute to a resilient and sustainable energy system.

We were also pleased to organise a site visit to the Kühtai pumped storage hydropower plant under development. This visit offered an invaluable opportunity for in-person exchanges, technical discussions, and strengthened cooperation within our community.

Our collaboration with EU-funded projects has grown significantly as well. The cluster advanced joint work, co-organised sessions, and increased its presence at major events. In 2025, this collaboration will be further strengthened through coordinated activities at the Paris Pumped Storage Forum, HYDRO 2025, and the annual Hydropower Day, among others. These efforts aim to reinforce and amplify the visibility of research and innovation in Europe.

Looking ahead, exciting developments are already in preparation. We are working on new strategic documents, exploring broader engagement with our stakeholders, and shaping new activities to continue supporting the sector.

As ETIP HYDROPOWER closes this year, we also approach the end of our current funding period. While we await news on the next phase, we are encouraged by the growing strength of our community. Continued visibility and support for hydropower will remain essential to delivering the energy transition Europe needs.

Thank you for being part of the ETIP HYDROPOWER community.

We look forward to an impactful year ahead!

Hydropower took center stage at this year’s ENLIT EUROPE in Bilbao, Spain, where a dedicated session in the Generation Hub "Hydropower Projects & Innovation: From showpiece pump storage projects to modernisation" which highlighted the sector’s crucial role in Europe’s evolving energy landscape.

Representing ETIP HYDROPOWER, Prof. Anton Schleiss delivered a keynote presentation titled Hydropower flexibility and storage as a catalyst for a successful energy transition. He began with an overview of ETIP HYDROPOWER’s mission and activities, emphasizing the platform’s work to drive innovation and collaboration across the hydropower community.

Prof. Schleiss underscored how recent events (notably the 2022 energy crisis and the 2025 blackout in Spain) have demonstrated the indispensable role of hydropower in ensuring Europe’s secure and resilient electricity supply. He stressed that the modernisation and extension of existing hydropower plants, along with the development of new pumped-storage facilities, are becoming increasingly attractive and necessary investments to meet flexibility and storage needs.

Drawing on insights from ETIP HYDROPOWER’s Working Group on Flexibility, Prof. Schleiss referenced the group’s White Paper and explanatory video, which together illustrate how hydropower can act as a cornerstone of Europe’s clean and reliable energy transition.

The session, chaired and moderated by Myrto Tripathi, General Director of Terrawater Institute, featured additional perspectives from leading industry figures. Izaskun Rica Ugarte, Hydropower Electrical Engineering Manager at Iberdrola, discussed advances in pumped-storage hydropower, while Emilie-Marie Mercier, R&D European Projects Director at EDF, presented Hydropower for a Competitive Europe: The Value of EU Funding and R&I, highlighting the importance of research, innovation, and European cooperation in maintaining hydropower’s competitiveness.

Brussels, 20 November 2025 — ETIP HYDROPOWER released last thursday 20th November three new White Papers dedicated to biodiversity, focusing on some of the most relevant interactions between hydropower operations and river ecosystems: fish mobility, environmental flows and hydropeaking, and sediment dynamics.

Developed by experts from Working Group 2, the series compiles state-of-the-art knowledge, European practices, and recommendations to support hydropower operators, researchers, and policy makers in advancing environmentally sustainable hydropower.

White Paper on Enabling Fish Mobility at Hydropower Plants

This paper highlights the role of fish migration in maintaining river connectivity and biodiversity. It reviews current technologies and solutions to improve upstream and downstream passage, including nature-like and technical fishways, fish lifts, bypass systems, behavioural guidance structures, and fish-friendly turbines.

It stresses the need for:

• Comprehensive site-specific assessments combining hydraulic and biological perspectives. 
• Clear criteria and performance standards for both upstream and downstream measures. 
• Integration of monitoring and adaptive management to ensure effectiveness over time.
• The document also identifies research gaps in areas such as fish behaviour, cumulative impacts, and the performance of innovative downstream solutions.

Download the White Paper on Fish Mobility

White Paper on Environmental Flows and Hydropeaking

This paper explores how environmental flows (E-flows) and hydropeaking management can reconcile river ecosystem needs with flexible hydropower production. It summarises methodologies applied across Europe (from hydrological and habitat-based to integrative approaches) and provides guidance for their implementation.

Key recommendations include:

• Developing robust, transparent, and adaptive E-flow methods grounded in ecological evidence. 
• Implementing long-term monitoring of both hydrological and biological indicators. 
• Considering hydropeaking mitigation measures, such as ramping rate control, re-regulation basins, and coordinated operation of plants.
• The paper calls for harmonised European approaches and the integration of E-flow considerations in hydropower licensing and policy frameworks.

Download the White Paper on E-flow and Hydropeaking

White Paper on Sediment Dynamics

Sediment transport is essential to river morphology, habitats, and infrastructure resilience. This White Paper explains how hydropower operations alter sediment continuity and outlines a comprehensive set of management measures to address it: such as sediment flushing, sluicing, venting, bypassing, replenishment, and dredging.

Its main messages include:

• The importance of catchment-scale and multi-stakeholder planning for sediment management. 
• Promoting integrated monitoring systems to track sediment fluxes and ecological effects. 
• Encouraging research and innovation in emerging solutions such as sediment venting and robotic dredging.
• By re-establishing sediment continuity, these practices can deliver joint benefits for ecosystems and reservoir performance.

Download the White Paper on Sediment Dynamics

Together, the three White Papers illustrate practical ways to achieve “win-win” solutions between hydropower operation and river ecology. They provide knowledge that supports the objectives of the EU Water Framework Directive, the Nature Restoration Regulation, and the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), contributing to Europe’s broader goals for a climate-resilient and nature-positive energy transition.

Piacenza, Italy — 30 November 2025. At the AQUAWATT Forum, a workshop titled “ETIP HYDROPOWER: Shaping the Future of Sustainable Hydropower in Europe” presented the European Technology and Innovation Platform on Hydropower (ETIP HYDROPOWER) to stakeholders from industry, research, and policy.

Hydropower remains a vital component of Europe’s clean energy transition, providing flexible, reliable, and renewable electricity. The workshop underscored how ETIP HYDROPOWER is designed to unify the sector’s voice, promote innovation and sustainability, and align strategic actions with EU climate and energy objectives.

Platform mission and governance

Antonella Frigerio, Vice Director at RSE and Co-Chair of the ETIP HYDROPOWER Governing Board, opened the session by outlining the platform’s mission, structure, and strategic priorities. She emphasised the need to reposition hydropower as a central pillar of the European Green Deal—able to deliver flexibility, storage, and climate resilience. Frigerio also highlighted the importance of Research and Innovation Agendas (RIA) and the Strategic Industrial Roadmap (SIR) to guide future developments, and called for stronger recognition of hydropower within EU policy frameworks.

Sector challenges and recommended actions

Jean-Jacques Fry, representing the ETIP HYDROPOWER Secretariat, identified three priority challenges for scaling hydropower deployment across Europe:

1. further minimising environmental impacts while meeting increasingly stringent EU regulations;
2. improving public and political awareness of hydropower’s role in the energy transition; and
3. enhancing competitiveness by ensuring appropriate remuneration for system and grid services.

To address these, Fry recommended:

• sustained dialogue with the European Commission through an Implementation Working Group on hydropower to advance the SET Plan;
• targeted awareness-raising among citizens and European decision-makers; and
• collaborative research to boost innovation within a sustainable framework, taking inspiration from approaches such as CEATI in North America

Preview of ETIP HYDROPOWER White Papers

The workshop also served as the exclusive preview of the ETIP HYDROPOWER White Papers developed by the platform’s Working Groups:

• WG1 – Flexibility and Storage: Leonardo Nibbi emphasized the urgent need to recognize hydropower’s unique ability to provide long-duration energy storage, especially through pumped storage, fast ramping to maintain grid stability, and black start capabilities. To fully unlock its potential, investments in innovation, fair market conditions, tailored support mechanisms, proper remuneration, and streamlined permitting by Member States are essential.
• WG2 – Biodiversity: Andrea Abbate and Marco Tangi highlighted three primary challenges: (1) enabling fish migration, (2) managing environmental flow and hydropeaking, and (3) understanding sediment dynamics. They emphasised the importance of integrating ecological considerations into hydropower planning and operations, referencing existing standards and regulations while advocating for unified and standardised strategies grounded in holistic, balanced and robust methods to safeguard river ecosystems.

• WG3 – Climate Change: Arianna Trevisiol, starting from climate projections and expected changes on hydrological cycle impacting on hydropower plants production and safety across Europe, highlighted hydropower’s dual function in mitigation and adaptation. Strengthening its resilience and contribution to climate-proof water and energy systems demands modernizing infrastructure, leveraging digital tools, predictive optimization and real-time monitoring to enhance the efficiency of power production and water management, adopting adaptive resource management strategies, fostering multi-actor collaboration to balance water and energy priorities, integrating science-based climate data into strategic planning, and enhancing cross-border cooperation to optimize benefits and mitigate risks.

In addition, a short video on hydropower’s flexibility potential was premiered, showcasing real-world examples of how hydropower assets across Europe are supporting the integration of variable renewables and enhancing system reliability.

World Hydropower Outlook 2025

Matteo Bianciotto of the International Hydropower Association (IHA) presented insights from the World Hydropower Outlook 2025, including:

• Over 24 GW of new hydropower capacity added globally in 2024, including 8.4 GW of pumped storage.
• Hydropower now supplies 14.3% of global electricity, with Europe contributing 680 TWh in 2024.
• A global pipeline of 1,075 GW, with 600 GW in pumped storage development.
• In Europe, a pipeline with around ten times more pumped storage capacity than conventional hydropower, indicating the region is approaching a point where pumped storage could add more capacity than conventional hydropower.

Policy momentum: the Paris Pledge

Bianciotto also introduced the Paris Pledge, a declaration signed by more than 50 European stakeholders calling for:

1. expansion of long-duration energy storage via pumped hydropower;
2. regulatory reforms to streamline permitting and incentivise investment; and
3. recognition of hydropower’s role in climate adaptation and water management.

The pledge was formally presented to the European Commission in Brussels on 11 September 2025, reinforcing the sector’s commitment to a resilient and decarbonised energy system.

The HYDRO 2025 Conference in Thessaloniki, Greece (22-24 October 2025), brought together over 1,000 participants to discuss innovation from almost 70 countries, to discuss topics ranging from dam safety and environmental management to climate resilience, artificial intelligence applications, and the growing role of pumped storage in renewable energy integration.

Anton Schleiss, Coordinator of ETIP HYDROPOWER, chaired the session on European initiatives supporting hydropower, where five presentations showcased the results of ongoing EU-funded R&I projects. Schleiss also lectured at the pre-conference workshop on pumped storage hydropower, presented the latest achievements of ETIP HYDROPOWER at the IEA Hydro TCP Executive Committee Meeting, joined a World Bank–led roundtable on sedimentation management, and delivered a technical talk on piano key weirs and wooden debris impacts in the Gates and Spillways session.

Denis Aelbrecht, Chair of the ETIP HYDROPOWER Governing Board, chaired the session on Climate change – risk and resilience, while Emanuele Quaranta, Chair of the Working Group on Promotion, Dissemination and Uptake of European R&I Projects, contributed to the Small Hydro session with a presentation on the potential and opportunities for small hydropower in the European Union and the role of emerging policies. He also introduced the European initiatives supporting hydropower session with reflections on how excellence in science and industrial innovation can jointly strengthen Europe’s hydropower sector and policy impact.

During the event, Anton Schleiss, Denis Aelbrecht, and Emanuele Quaranta met with representatives of the European Commission’s DG International Partnerships (Pau Guix Ruiz and Michel Caubet) to discuss ongoing initiatives under the Global Gateway strategy, exploring opportunities to promote public–private hydropower projects worldwide with European sector involvement.

Several other ETIP HYDROPOWER members contributed to the programme, including Sera Lazaridou and Klaus Jorde (Governing Board members) as well as Atle Harby, Cécile Munch Alligné, Luc Deroo, and Miroslav Marence (Scientific Advisory Board members).

Through active participation at HYDRO 2025, ETIP HYDROPOWER highlighted its continued efforts to develop sustainable hydropower solutions and to connect scientific, industrial, and policy perspectives across Europe.

On 17–18 September 2025, the SHF HydroES Conference in Grenoble, France, brought together experts and stakeholders to advance knowledge on hydropower and environmental sustainability. The event provided an important platform for presenting the latest work developed within the ETIP HYDROPOWER Working Groups.

Denis Aelbrecht, Chair of the Governing Board, opened the session with an introduction to ETIP HYDROPOWER and later offered closing reflections. Maryse François presented the White Paper on Flexibility, inviting participants to continue the conversation during the upcoming webinar scheduled for 8 October 2025. Agnès Barillier followed with a presentation of the main messages from the White Paper on E-flows and Biodiversity, while Benjamin Graff shared preliminary insights from the forthcoming White Paper on Climate Change, which will soon be made publicly available.

The two-day conference concluded with a series of technical visits that offered participants hands-on insights into hydropower innovation and sustainability. At the EDF Cheylas pumped storage plant, participants explored sediment management solutions developed by Watertracks through the Nessie technology. At the SuperGrid Institute, the group visited the TM1 Scaled Model test platform (IEC 60193) and the HydroPHIL transient platform, and took part in discussions on hybridisation with batteries, variable speed solutions and the economic value of hydropower in electricity markets. The programme also included a visit to the ARTELAB Modelling Laboratory, managed by Artelia.

ETIP HYDROPOWER participated as BRONZE Partner at the International Forum on Pumped Storage Hydropower, held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. This high-level global event marked the culmination of a year-long campaign from the International Hydropower Association (IHA) to accelerate action on pumped storage hydropower: the “unsung hero” of the energy transition.

At the Forum, ETIP HYDROPOWER, together with Di-Hydro and STOR-HY, represented the ETIP HYDROPOWER Cluster on the exhibition hall, gathering together some of the most ambitious European projects dedicated to advancing hydropower technology and energy storage solutions. The cluster showcased the latest EU Horizon Europe projects, including: iAMP-Hydro, D-Hydroflex, SHERPA, HYDRO4U, ReHydro, RevHydro, XFLEX-HYDRO, HYPOSO, Store2Hydro, and H-HOPE. Together, these projects embody Europe’s leadership in developing sustainable, flexible, and environmentally responsible hydropower systems.

The Forum took place at a critical moment for global climate action. At COP29, 58 nations committed to the Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge, setting the ambitious target of deploying 1,500 GW of energy storage, doubling grid investments, and expanding 25 million km of new grid infrastructure by 2030. Hydropower—and particularly pumped storage, which already accounts for around 90% of global long-duration energy storage—will play a decisive role in making these targets a reality.

Despite its proven value and relatively small environmental footprint, pumped storage remains largely unknown to the public. The IFPSH gathered Heads of State, Ministers, CEOs, financial institutions, intergovernmental organisations, and industry leaders to raise awareness and agree on the policies and practices needed to unlock new development.