STSM Reports

Under the PEN@Hydropower Short Term Scientific Mission program, host institutions put forward research themes. Interested applicants can explore the array of research themes proposed by these host institutions and reach out to them for further details prior to submitting their applications.

2023

  • Many large hydropower plants provide flexible electricity to the transmission grids, either by dispatching or shifting production, or by fast response and ancillary services to system needs. This ability depends on the plant type and on various physical, operational and market parameters.

    Assessment of the current flexibility services of hydropower plants in the electricity grids of EU countries is a challenging task, whereas a methodology to evaluate and quantify the flexibility potential of a plant as function of the above parameters would be very useful. The aim of this STSM report is to review and collect, mainly through the internet, such information and data from the scientific literature, transmission grid operators, regulators, and other public or private authorities of various EU countries, and to start developing a corresponding data base about Flexibility Provided by Hydropower Today in the EU grids.

    STSM report can be found here

    The PowerPoint Presentation can be found here.

  • The primary goal of this STSM was to identify challenges in digitalization a) implementation, b) data management issues, c) additional training and educations, d) identify approaches for implementation in hydropower industry.

    The STSM report can be found here

2024

  •  This STSM is intended to:

    • Assess how much power and energy capacity from energy storage units in the future energy system will be needed to provide long-duration energy storage by PHS in 5 European countries with a 2030-2050 perspective.

    • Investigate how the increase in power and energy capacity will influence the annual energy load supply from renewable energy sources, thus reducing the annual production from fossil fuelled electricity sources and increasing the consumption of energy produced by VRES, which would otherwise have to be curtailed.

    • Provide a data set of input and output for 5 European countries to model energy systems in the EnergyPLAN software.

    The STSM can be found here.

  • aimed to review and classify the environmental impacts of hydropower, initially focusing on gathering and analyzing data from literature provided by COST Action CA21104 members. Objectives included identifying positive and negative impacts, proposing mitigation measures, and understanding climate change effects on hydropower. Results included a completed table of impacts (noting environmental parameters affected, impact nature, and timing), a narrowed focus on fish ecology due to data limitations, and proposed fish-focused mitigation strategies.

    Full STSM report here.

    Presentation can be found here

  • Through this STSM, the new role of hydropower within the power sector is evaluated, highlighting the hydropower importance in achieving the CET goals. Comparison between the shares of hydropower and renewable sources in total electricity generation in Europe a time frame of two decades is conducted in order to obtain a clear picture of the current hydropower status in Europe. The comparative analysis contributes to specifying the position of hydropower among the other renewable energy sources in Europe. The analysis is based on regional division (Eastern, Northern, Western and Southern Europe) to find influential parameters (such as national policies and landscape type) on hydropower expansion according to the regions. Landscape type/specific characteristics of the respective European region are related to the hydropower development so far and the remaining technically feasible hydropower potential.

    The report can be found here

  • This paper provides an overview of key international legal requirements for hydropower development, focusing on transboundary water law, relevant agreements, and sustainability principles, along with the duty specified in these agreements. It then examines the hydropower sustainability standards, including their transboundary aspects, and discusses the Duty to Respect Generally Accepted Standards within the Hydropower Sustainability Standard (HSS). Finally, the paper analyzes how the HSS, combined with other regulatory tools, contributes to achieving sustainable hydropower projects.

    Link to document here.