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.