Condition monitoring |
Hydropower’s digital defence
As hydropower operators embrace AI, digital twins and advanced sensing technologies, condition monitoring is rapidly evolving from a maintenance tool into a frontline defence against costly failures. New research also shows how improved monitoring could help prevent incidents such as Kazakhstan’s 2024 Voroshilov dam breach
ALL HYDROPOWER COMPONENTS are subject to constant use and can experience faults and degradation that may hinder or interrupt normal operations. This is why condition monitoring and inspection play such an important role in preventing, detecting, and mitigating possible faults that appear. A recent study by Marquez et al published in Electric Power Systems Research, has presented a comprehensive review of the condition monitoring systems used at hydropower stations, classifying them based on the component monitored, the sensing technology applied, and the issue considered for assessment. The authors say the primary objective of this was
Floods in northern Kazakhstan during April 2024 when the Voroshilov dam failed. The critical importance of regular and comprehensive assessment of the technical condition of hydraulic structures cannot be underestimated. Takeshisan/
Shutterstock.com
to move beyond a categorical listing of techniques and instead provide a critical framework for evaluating the evolution of condition monitoring at hydropower stations. Their thorough literature search on the subject helped to provide a holistic assessment, clearly highlighting trends and technological advances over time, and identifying the most promising pathways for future research to enhance the reliability, economy, and safety of hydropower generation.
Significant growth According to the authors, publications on hydropower
condition monitoring have grown significantly in the past two decades, with a sharp acceleration after 2015. This, they say, coincides with advances in sensor
technology, greater computational capacity, and the global shift toward digitalisation in energy systems. They also note that the number of journal articles has overtaken conference papers in recent years, which reflects the maturation of the field: early exploratory work was mainly shared in conferences, whereas more recent contributions are consolidated as peer-reviewed journal studies. This trend, Marquez et al say, demonstrates that the research area has become more robust, systematic, and aligned with industrial needs.
Future challenges Despite progress, several challenges still need to be
overcome for condition monitoring to achieve its full potential at hydropower stations. Marquez et al say these include: ● Data scarcity and quality: AI and machine learning approaches require large volumes of labelled failure data. However, catastrophic faults in hydropower systems are rare by nature, and operators are reluctant to share sensitive operational data. Such scarcity hinders the training of robust predictive models. However, this limitation could be alleviated by synthetic data generation, transfer learning from other rotating machinery, and federated learning approaches.
● Standardisation and benchmarking: A major barrier to industrial uptake is the lack of standardised methodologies and performance benchmarks. Different plants and studies use disparate feature sets, thresholds, and evaluation metrics, making comparison difficult. Establishing common standards, similar to those in the aviation or wind energy industries, would accelerate technology transfer and regulatory acceptance.
● Economic justification and return on investment (ROI): Operators require clear evidence that the cost of implementing condition monitoring systems is outweighed by the benefits of avoided failures and optimised maintenance. Quantitative frameworks for ROI calculation, including case studies that demonstrate cost savings, are still scarce. Without robust economic justification, the authors say adoption of advanced condition monitoring methods may remain limited to flagship projects.
● Environmental and climate resilience - Hydropower stations increasingly face stress from climate change, including more frequent extreme floods, sediment surges, and variable inflows. Future condition monitoring systems
36 | June 2026 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45
