North America |


Enhancing the survival of large female eels in the St. Lawrence River migrating to spawning grounds in the Atlantic would result in higher populations of juvenile eels, thereby assisting in the broader recovery of American eels throughout their range. “We are incredibly excited about the opportunity to undertake a feasibility study to design RHT runners for the St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project,” said Natel co-founder and CTO, Abe Schneider. “We are confident that we can create designs that are both highly efficient and enable exceptional fish survival. We are particularly motivated by the positive impact FishSafe™ turbines could have for the American eel species.” The FEMRF, supported by the FAC, has funded this project because of its potential benefits to multiple declining and ecologically important species (particularly the American eel), and its international importance for fish populations in the Lake Ontario/St. Lawrence River Basin, impacting both U.S. and Canadian waters. Natel expects to deliver a draft feasibility


report to NYPA and FAC for review by December 2025.


Upstream Tech


The US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) has awarded a contract to Upstream Tech to deploy its HydroForecast system, an AI-driven streamflow forecasting tool, across several major river basins, dams, and reservoirs in the western United States. USBR, the US’ largest water wholesaler and a leading hydropower producer, will use the system to improve water supply reliability and support hydropower operations. The adoption is part of USBR’s Facilitated Adoption program, designed to move new research into operational use. HydroForecast gained recognition through the USBR-co-sponsored Streamflow Forecast Rodeo competition, where its accuracy and AI


methods were noted in comparison with other forecasting systems. The tool is now being put into use in USBR


regions including the California Great Basin, Columbia Pacific Northwest, Lower Colorado, Missouri Basin & Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas, and the Upper Colorado. Operators will be able to incorporate the AI forecasts into their decision-making. “This collaboration represents what Upstream


Tech is all about – connecting innovation with the critical decision-makers who steward our most vital resources,” said Upstream Tech CEO Marshall Moutenot. “Reclamation has been a part of HydroForecast’s evolution from early on, so we’re especially excited to work collaboratively to discover new ways to strengthen water and power management in the face of a changing climate.”


Voith


Voith and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have announced promising initial results from their joint project aimed at improving hydropower turbine design using artificial intelligence. The collaboration uses DLR’s optimisation software, AutoOpti, to streamline the development of turbine components through automated and data-driven design processes. The project is a response to growing industry


pressure for more efficient, durable, and cost- effective hydropower technologies. Energy providers and plant operators are increasingly demanding performance improvements under tighter economic and regulatory constraints. AutoOpti is designed to automate the turbine design process by integrating various simulation models, including fluid dynamics and structural mechanics. It uses machine learning to generate and evaluate new turbine designs based on performance targets such as hydraulic efficiency and mechanical durability. “AutoOpti significantly shortens development time while measurably improving the quality of


turbine design,” the project partners stated. By using real component data from


Voith, AutoOpti has already demonstrated performance gains. In tests on a Francis turbine, the tool produced new design variants that increased efficiency across multiple operating conditions without changing flow rates. Surrogate models based on Gaussian Processes helped reduce the number of costly CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations needed, accelerating the overall optimization process. The next phase of the project will expand


AutoOpti’s use to other turbine components and explore its application in additional Voith product lines. DLR is supporting this effort through training and technical workshops and is also developing new approaches using deep neural networks. One such method, called FlowFormer, is based on transformer architectures and is designed to predict complex 3D flow behaviour. The project is part of a broader shift toward digitalised, AI-assisted design in the hydropower sector. Both partners aim to build on the current progress and establish a long-term development partnership.


WEG


Located in the municipality of Campos de Júlio, in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, the Juruena Hydroelectric Plant is part of the important Amazon River basin and has an installed capacity of 50 MW, enough energy to supply approximately 100,000 households. Currently in the testing phase, the Juruena HPP is part of a strategic set of energy infrastructure investments in northern Brazil. The goal is to promote sustainable development, ensure a safe and reliable power supply, and contribute to the expansion of the Brazilian energy matrix through renewable sources. To meet the technical requirements of the


plant’s substation, WEG supplied a set of six high-voltage disconnect switches rated at 145 kV. Among them, four have vertical opening (with 1,250 A nominal current), and two have vertical semi-pantograph opening (with 2,000 A nominal current). These disconnect switches play a vital role in the plant’s electrical system, ensuring the safe isolation of circuits and equipment during maintenance interventions or emergencies, without compromising the operation of the rest of the substation. Their use directly contributes to the reliability and flexibility of the plant’s operations, ensuring system continuity and efficiency. This project reinforces WEG’s commitment


Above: USBR has awarded Upstream Tech a contract to deploy HydroForest at several of its dams 26 | September 2025 | www.waterpowermagazine.com


to developing technological solutions aimed at expanding and modernizing the national electric sector especially in ventures that promote renewable generation and efficient energy use.


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