| Hydro & renewables integration
need for power system flexibility, and with increasing renewable generation worldwide, it may mean increasing hydropower flexibility requires trade-off with other non-power hydro services. “Although we did not explore specific approaches
for increasing operational flexibility in practice, our findings suggest that relaxing operational constraints, when feasible, can yield significant advantages to the electricity system. Such relaxation could be achieved by retrofitting aging infrastructure, implementing advanced turbine technologies, or upgrading control systems,” Wang et explain. In addition, revisiting existing regulations or operational paradigms may also reveal new opportunities to enhance operational flexibility without negatively impacting other river services.
Norwegian potential Norwegian hydropower has previously been identified
as having a potential role to play in managing variations in wind and solar power across Northern Europe. Previous estimations have suggested that upgrading hydroelectric power plants at existing reservoirs in southern Norway could boost production capacity by 11-20GW and pumping capacity by 5GW. Furthermore, any environmental impacts are expected to be relatively low since the construction would involve new tunnels connecting to existing reservoirs rather than creating new reservoirs, and discharge flow into large reservoirs or fjords. Recent research by Anders Arvesen et al in Earth Environmental Science has highlighted how
expanding hydropower and transmission can potentially:
Reduce price spikes during periods of low wind/ solar output. Reduce wind/solar energy curtailment during periods of high wind/solar output. Reduce price differences between interconnected areas during periods of either low or high wind/solar output.
The authors say these effects are attributable to more dynamic operation and expanded operational ranges of hydropower and transmission in the simulations assuming expanded hydropower and transmission capacities. Although they acknowledge there is high fundamental uncertainty in modelling a future system for the year 2050. It is also crucial to investigate the potential contribution of Norwegian hydropower in managing challenging weather events related to wind and solar energy variability. This includes both events with simultaneous low outputs and with concurrent high outputs. Admitting their analysis does not cover the effects
of future climate change on weather-dependent renewables, heating or cooling, the authors say future planned work includes comprehensive assessment of price and curtailment effects for various countries in Northern Europe. They also plan to examine the effects on achieved prices for hydropower and other power producers, plus the effects on socioeconomic surplus, including potential redistributions between countries or between producers and consumers.
References
https://www.hydropower. org/news/flexible-energy- transition-gets-boost-as- over-58-nations-back-global- storage-and-grids-targets
https://www.hydropower. org/news/pumped-storage- hydropower-is-a-major-focus- in-australias-clean-energy- conversation
The value of hydropower flexibility for electricity system decarbonization by Yiwen Wang, Todd Levin, Jonghwan Kwon, and Erin Baker. Energy
Reports 13 (2025) 2711–2721.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j. egyr.2025.02.019
On the potential role of flexible Norwegian hydropower in managing challenging renewable energy variability events in Europe by Anders Arvesen et al 2025 IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. 1442 01200
www.waterpowermagazine.com | April 2025 | 21
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
