HERI – Research Actions Database

Welcome to the HERI Research Actions Database. The database provides details of past and present research actions related to all aspects of hydropower. The database has been structured following the categorisation developed for the HYDROPOWER EUROPE research and innovation agenda, and Strategic Industry Roadmap.

The database contents have been collated from a variety of organisations working on research actions across all sectors of the hydropower industry. The information has been share freely and is available as open access. You can search the database or add details of new initiatives to the database via the buttons below.

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Digital solutions for improving the sustainability performance and FLEXibility potential of HYDROpower assets

Description

The European energy system is undergoing a significant transformation: decarbonization, security of supply, deployment of renewables and their integration into the market, generating significant opportunities and challenges for energy stakeholders. Despite all energy efficiency efforts, overall demand for decarbonized electricity is set to be significantly higher in 2050 than today due to the decarbonization of the heating, cooling, transport and many industrial sectors, which can only be achieved via efficient and smart electrification. Hydropower is a key technology in supporting the European pathway to a decarbonized energy system and to achieve global leadership in renewable energy generation. It consists a renewable and highly sustainable electricity resource and can supply the European power system with stability and valuable flexibility. In addition, hydropower reduces EU’s dependency on fossil imports and renders multiple extra benefits for society in the river basins such as support to irrigation, water supply and flood control. The D-HYDROFLEX project will advance excellence in research on digital technology for hydropower paving the way towards more efficient, more sustainable, and more competitive hydropower plants in modern power markets. D-HYDROFLEX will develop a toolkit for digitally ‘renovating’ the existing hydroelectric power plants based on sensors, digital twins, AI algorithms, hybridization modelling (power-to-hydrogen), cloud-edge computing and image processing. The core pillars of the project will be: (i) digitalization, (i.e. digital twins for hydro dams and machinery, weather and flow forecasts, cyber-resilience), (ii) flexibility, (i.e. coordination with hydrogen, storage and VPP operation) and (iii) sustainability, (i.e. biodiversity environmental issues). Validation will take place in real hydro plants of EDF (France), TEE (Poland), PPC (Greece), TASGA (Spain) and INTEX (Romania), covering different geographical areas of Europe.

Organisations

  • UBITECH ENERGY

Funding

  • European funding

Specific Funding Sources:
European Commission

Level of Action:

European

Applications

Small-hydro, Large-hydro, Run-of-the-River

Keywords

Digitalization, Ecology, Flexibility, Maintenance, Modeling / Simulation, Sustainability

Areas of Research

Research and Innovation Agenda

  • Understanding and numerically predicting the power plant performance at off-design operating conditions
  • Integration of weather and flow forecast with production plans, flood reduction risks, environmental flows and other water uses
  • Enhancing computer models to optimise the control system structures, including in run-of-river power plants
  • Develop new online monitoring and diagnostic systems with intelligent sensors that predict the optimal maintenance interval based on the method of operation
  • Measures and approaches to protect biodiversity
  • Development and testing of solutions for improved biodiversity and fish protection

Strategic Industry Roadmap

Last Updated: 23/02/2024 11:29

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D-HYDROFLEX

Call Number

HORIZON-CL5-2022-D3-03

Project Number

101122357

Start Date
2023
End Date
2026

Budget Range
€1,000,000 - €5,000,000

Project website

 

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Funded by
the European Union