Climate change | Is hydropower at risk?
The impacts of climate change are being felt across the European and North American hydropower industries. However, even with extreme and varied weather conditions, research shows that hydro can still play a critical role in a stable power grid.
Below: Melting glacier in Norway. Inflow forecasting to optimise hydropower production is becoming increasingly important due to melting glaciers
CLIMATE CHANGE AND MELTING glaciers have been creating inflow challenges for hydropower producers over recent years. In Norway, the Folgefonna glaciers are among the largest in the country and meltwater travels down into the hydropower system of Sunnhordland Kraftlag AS (SKL). For over 75 years, SKL has been supplying the region with sustainable electricity and, with precipitation of up to 4000mm per year, already deals with some of the wettest weather in Norway. In a nominal year SKL produces about 2700GWh of hydropower and 60% of this comes from the Blåfalli hydropower plant in Kvinnherad municipality. Here, around 30% of the catchment area is covered by the Folgefonna glaciers. SKL’s hydro reservoirs are highly flexible and
can store huge amounts of water. However, inflow forecasting to optimise energy production is becoming ever more important due to melting glaciers. To help extract the full value of its flexible portfolio, the
hydropower producer is set to use software from Norwegian technology supplier Volue. Volue’s Smart Generation software will enable SKL
to will find out how much water is expected to come into the reservoir system on an hourly basis over a two- week period and help improve seasonal planning of hydropower generation. Previously SKL had handled this by almost emptying reservoirs before the heavy inflow season, and by refilling to the allowed maximum during wet periods before the dry winter season. Volue says its software will change this. The solution
will prepare long-term inflow forecasts by using a mix of weather forecasts and historical weather data as input. Combined with the long-term price forecast from Volue Insight, which provides real-time data, forecasts and market analysis on a scalable platform for the next 15 minutes or 30 years or more, it will suggest how reservoir storage should be best-utilised week-by-week throughout the year. It is said that such
44 | November 2022 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
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