| Hydropower research
restoration, recreation enhancement, or improvement of the water quality and environmental conditions in an already-impounded river. More accessible and actionable information, Hansen et al add, will better address stakeholders’ needs and lead to more successful hydropower project outcomes.
Hydropower innovation showcase In an effort to showcase industry innovations and
research from around the world, the International Hydropower Association has launched its new Renewable Energy Innovations Hub. According to the International Energy Agency, by 2050, almost half the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will come from technologies that are currently at the demonstration or prototype phase. Major innovation efforts must therefore take place this decade to bring these new technologies to market in time. IHA believes its hub can help with this by providing
a platform for companies to help share knowledge and showcase their latest innovations which fall under three themes: technology; research; and environmental, social and governance. “The newly created Renewable Energy Innovations
Hub provides a platform for innovators across the sector to highlight new approaches, research and technologies in the way we produce, store and transmit energy to ensure renewables work together,” IHA Chief Executive Eddie Rich said. Innovations featured on the hub include the EcoFlot – an autonomous floating platform powered by solar energy that can be deployed on any water surface to help improve water quality, increase exchanges in stagnant water and reduce the effect of invasive algae. EcoEnergy teamed up with Solar Systems and HelioRek to propose this simple and flexible solution to target areas of reservoirs at risk of oxygen depletion. It was first implemented in Russia in 2020 and further applications are under consideration in the South and Central Asia region. MobyGIS is also featured on the hub and believes it has solved the problem snow presents for hydropower
operators who rely on meteorological data to predict the amount of water flowing into their reservoirs. In a partnership with Italian power companies, MobyGIS’ product, WaterJade, brings together precipitation and snow data to build a digital twin of the natural area surrounding hydropower reservoirs. This helps hydropower operators forecast the amount of water flowing into their reservoirs in the short-term and on a seasonal basis. Climate projections are an additional part of the programme and will help navigate the challenges posed by climate change. Satellites are also being used to replace probes and divers and help hydropower plant operators understand and manage their reservoirs more economically and sustainably. HYPOS, an EU-funded software project carried out by five organisations specialising in water management and the capture and analysis of satellite images of Earth, has been tested on four sites, across Switzerland, Albania, and Georgia. The results have helped operators build a more accurate and comprehensive picture of their reservoir.
With HYPOS, the wealth of information made
available from a computer image can simplify many of the activities required from hydropower plant operators. EOMAP, the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, Stucky, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the Institute for Remote Sensing of Environment are all partners in the project.
Addressing the gender gap Women’s role in managing water resources has been
recognised by the United Nations since 1992 as being of central importance, but a new report shows progress has been slow and the management of this vital resource is still male dominated. According to the new UN report, called Advancing
Towards Gender Mainstreaming in Water Resources Management, photographs of women walking down dirt roads with jugs of water on their heads – cast in roles as water carriers instead of water managers – is not yet a thing of the past. In the research f
Below: Hydropower dam on the Columbia River in the US. Only 3% of 91,000 documented US dams generate electricity
Above: Research is being undertaken to help identify and encourage best practice and practical approaches on gender equality in the hydropower sector
www.waterpowermagazine.com | October 2021 | 33
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 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53
