On 6 December 2024, from 13:30 to 15:00 CET, the latest session in the webinar series “Boosting Hydropower: Best Practices for Research” will present the latest advances in hydropower technology. Organised by the ETIP HYDROPOWER project, this session will introduce three EU research projects and highlight the main conclusions of the 2024 report “Hydropower and Pumped Hydropower Storage in the European Union”.

Featured Projects and Presenters:

• SHERPA: Ademir Suárez from Iberdrola Spain will present SHERPA, which aims to develop and validate innovative technologies for the refurbishment of existing hydropower plants in order to extend and/or adapt their operating range to include lower water flows, without compromising their lifetime, economic viability, and environmental and impact.
• RevHydro: Michel Cervantes from Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, will introduce RevHydro, an initiative intended to develop and implement technologies that address the efficiency, environmental impact, and operational challenges faced by hydropower plants, especially ageing ones, due to changes in energy demand, climate conditions, and technological developments.
• STOR-HY: Alexandre Presas from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain, will present the STOR-HY project, which focuses on extending the lifespan of pumped storage hydropower plants and retrofitting equipment through smart monitoring and control technologies. It also targets challenging areas for storage application such as seawater and coal mines.

The webinar will also feature contributions from Emanuele Quaranta of the Joint Research Centre (JRC), who will present the main findings of the Clean Energy Technology Observatory (CETO) Hydropower 2024 report, and Anton Schleiss from the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), will be presenting ETIP HYDROPOWER.

This webinar will provide an opportunity to learn about the latest research developments in hydropower across Europe.

How to Join:

Interested participants can register for the webinar HERE.

You can find the agenda also HERE. 

The HydroES 2025 Symposium on Hydropower and Environmental Sustainability with the theme "Hydropower, Innovation & Resilience" will bring together stakeholders from the water and hydropower sectors on September 17-18, 2025, in Grenoble, France. The event will showcase advancements in technical, scientific, and innovative solutions. ETIP HYDROPOWER will feature a special session during the symposium. Participants are encouraged to present their research, and submissions are welcome until December 13, 2024, via the official website (click here).

Hydropower facilities contribute to the reduction of the impacts of climate change, including extreme events, floods and droughts, which tend to be increasingly exacerbated. It is a local energy, which cannot be relocated, anchored in the territories and its facilities play a key role in the management of water resources for the satisfaction of multiple uses such as drinking water supply, irrigation, navigation, tourism, and in the management of the electricity system through its flexibility. It makes it possible to compensate for the intermittency of other renewable energies and to stabilise the network in the event of the fortuitous unavailability of other means of production.
 
Hydropower must therefore respond to multiple technical, societal and environmental issues and challenges. We must continually innovate to seek the best balance, to reconcile the various uses, to preserve aquatic environments and biodiversity, to adapt to climate change, and putting science, societal services and the living at the heart of the debates.
 
This symposium will be organized in 4 sessions and a technical visit:

 
1. Climate Change (Adaptation & Mitigation):
Pressures on water resources (melting glaciers, water temperature, drought, etc.), resilience strategies in face of extreme events, revision of engineering practices in project design, technological innovation, etc.

2. Energy Transition and Water Resource Management:
Energy efficiency, new hydrometeorological forecasting tools, optimization of water production and resources, flexibility and role of hydropower in the energy mix, reduction of the carbon footprint and role of hydropower (gravity development and WWTP) in the energy transition, marine energies, Reconciling uses and consultation, the solutions of the future, etc.

3. Digital Transformation and Modernization of Operations & Maintenance (O&M):
Evolution of O&M practices (remote control of development chains, plant 4.0, digital twins, etc.), role of new sensors, existing communication protocols for facility monitoring and environmental monitoring, new generation of modeling systems capable of integrating new data sources, artificial intelligence (IA) and Big Data: best practices for operational implementation and decision support.

4. Issues and Challenges of the Hydroelectric Fleet:
Ageing of structures and equipment, sediment management, fish farming continuity, new legal, environmental and social constraints, etc.

Special Technical Visit
The event will conclude with a technical visit on September 19, 2025, allowing up to 40 participants to observe hydropower operations firsthand, providing practical insights into the technologies and strategies discussed during the symposium.

ETIP HYDROPOWER recently held two workshops at the AQUAWATT Conference, an event focused on hydropower’s contribution to renewable energy and climate resilience. AQUAWATT gathers stakeholders from the hydroelectric industry, government, research institutions, and associations to discuss advancements and collaboration opportunities in hydropower.

The first workshop, held on October 29 and titled “The Role of Hydropower in the Energy Transition Process” included presentations from Jean-Jacques Fry on ETIP HYDROPOWER’s current projects, Matteo Bianciotto on the XFLEX HYDRO Project, and Emanuele Quaranta on the importance of pumped hydro storage for renewable energy goals.

The second workshop, “Dams and Reservoirs: Climate Change Adaptation and Public Awareness Strategies”, took place on October 30. Antonella Frigerio provided an overview of ETIP HYDROPOWER’s Working Groups and discussed the impacts of climate change on water and energy security. Emanuele Quaranta spoke on the WEFE (Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem) nexus in reservoir management, and Sera Lazaridou highlighted public awareness efforts, including the “Dam Day: Reservoirs for Europe” initiative.

These sessions reflect ETIP HYDROPOWER’s efforts to promote sustainable hydropower and climate adaptation solutions through European-wide knowledge exchange.