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Making flexible hydropower a reality

Read the recommendations Technical publications

Over 4 years, 19 pioneering organisations in the energy sector explored means to expand the flexibility of hydropower plants and increase their contribution to the energy transition. Click on the links above to find out more about the XFLEX HYDRO project.

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Take part in the conversation on social media #futureofhydro

Hydro plant upgrades benefit the power grid. And the environment.

The first results of XFLEX HYDRO upgrades have been presented in Switzerland. The technological solutions meet expectations.

Run-of-river hydropower plant tests hydro-battery-hybrid

The Vogelgrun hydropower plant is testing how a battery energy storage system (BESS) can increase the flexibility of the plant.

full-scale applications

BATTERY/ TURBINE HYBRID

TESTED AT: VOGELGRUN, FRANCE

ENHANCED FIXED SPEED

TESTED AT: ALTO LINDOSO (HIGH HEAD) AND CANICADA, PORTUGAL (MEDIUM HEAD)

HYDRAULIC SHORT CIRCUIT

(REVERSIBLE FRANCIS) TESTED AT: ALQUEVA

HYDRAULIC SHORT CIRCUIT

(PELTON) TESTED AT GRAND'MAISON, FRANCE

VARIABLE SPEED (DFIM)

TESTED AT: FRADES 2, PORTUGAL

VARIABLE SPEED (FSFC)

TESTED AT Z'MUTT SWITZERLAND

Partners

Alpiq

Andritz

CEA

EDF

EDP

EPFL

GE Renewable Energy

HES SO

IHA

INESCTEC

New World Energy

PVE

SuperGrid Institute

Universitat Stuttgart

Voith

Zabala

Latest news

April 7, 2022

Grand'Maison

Grand'Maison is a pumped storage hydropower plant featuring twelve 150 MW units, consisting of four Pelton turbines and eight reversible pump-turbines.

April 7, 2022

Z'mutt, Switzerland

Z’Mutt is the largest pumped storage hydropower plant of the Grand Dixence hydroelectric complex, featuring five units with a total pumping power of 88 MW.

April 8, 2022

Assessing low-cost ways to increase hydropower’s services at Alqueva

The Alqueva pumped storage hydropower plant in Portugal is exploring three low capital expenditure opportunities to increase the plant’s services to the electricity grid.

Knowledge Hub

Technical White Paper

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Recommendations towards the deployment of hydropower flexibility technologies

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Site visit: Smart Power Plant Supervisor with integrated battery control

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Business use cases for the provision of flexibility services by hydropower

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Flexibility, technologies and scenarios for hydropower

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Common methodology to assess cost of hydroelectric flexible technologies

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View Knowledge Hub