– For life in the river, this could for example mean that fish must be able to migrate unharmed past power plants, says NINA researcher Line Sundt-Hansen, who will lead the work on nature and climate in RenewHydro.
Adapting to Climate Change and Protecting Nature
Nature has provided our society with extraordinary resources. By developing as a hydropower nation, we have created industries, jobs, and local communities across the nation. However, hydropower has also had a significant impact on nature in and around rivers and waterways. Therefore, RenewHydro will make a substantial effort to find methods that enhance biodiversity, reduce environmental impact, and contribute to restoring ecosystems.
Teaming up with solar and wind
Hydropower has been the backbone of Norway's energy supply for over 100 years, but now both hydropower and society face new challenges. Norway is in the process of electrifying several sectors, such as transport and industry. At the same time, new power-intensive industries are being established, and we have committed to ambitious nature and climate goals.
– Hydropower is an enabler for new and significant opportunities in the energy system. When experts in technology, biology, and economics work together, we can take hydropower into a new era, says Centre Leader Liv Randi Hultgreen from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology - NTNU.
– At RenewHydro, we will research how hydropower can collaborate with other renewable technologies, such as solar and wind power, and adapt to new climate and market challenges, says Hultgreen.
The hydropower industry and administration will be closely involved. They will participate in testing models in laboratories and trying specific solutions at power plants and waterways.
Ensuring Stable Energy Supply
Reliable access to electric energy is essential for modern society. In recent years, extreme weather and power crises have shown that we cannot take this for granted. Hydropower can store and regulate energy in large reservoirs. They act as natural batteries, providing us with electricity even when it's cloudy or windless.
Researchers from institutions such as NTNU, the University of Southeast Norway (USN), SINTEF, ETH Zurich, Luleå University of Technology (LTU), and Kathmandu University will collaborate to develop technological solutions that enhance hydropower’s ability to store and regulate energy. This will help strengthen research on supply security in an energy system that is becoming increasingly dependent on variable renewable energy such as solar and wind power.
– Researchers will look at how we can design future power plants. These plants must account for more frequent starts and stops in production, as demand fluctuates more than before, says Hultgreen.
Power plants will also need to manage larger flood peaks and longer dry spells, all while considering nature and the environment.
Through analyses of climate impacts and flood mitigation, the research can help protect communities and infrastructure against extreme weather conditions in the future.
Contact:
Line Sundt-Hansen, NINA
Liv Randi Hultgreen, NTNU
Website: www.renewhydro.no
Programme for Kick-off 14.januar
Facts:
RenewHydro is a Research Centre for Environmentally Friendly Energy (FME). The FME programme is an initiative by the Research Council of Norway to ensure long-term research on renewable energy and energy transition in close cooperation between research, industry, and government.
The Research Council and the hydropower industry will invest around 370 million NOK over the next eight years to make hydropower a pillar of the energy transition.
The centre is led by NTNU, NHH, NINA, and SINTEF Energy. The research will take place in close collaboration with Norwegian and international research partners such as NORCE, NMBU, USN, ETH Zurich, Luleå University of Technology, and Kathmandu University.
RenewHydro skal utvikle kunnskap og løsninger slik at fleksibel vannkraft kan støtte realisering av energiomstillingen og nå nasjonale energi-, klima- og naturmål.