Work Programme

The work programme has been subdivided into four sub-tasks:

Subtask 1: Updating Sustainable Hydropower Inventories (lead : Switzerland, finished)

Review existing hydropower inventories to identify additional sustainable opportunities, based on new technologies, improved and additional data sets, updated economic criteria, information on regulations and environmental constraints and improved development measures.

Subtask 2: Improving Performance from Existing Hydropower (lead : Japan, ongoing)

Evaluate existing, older hydropower plants for opportunities to improve performance, reduce losses and add power. Use would be made of the information contained in the reports for Annex XI and XV.

Subtask 3: Adding Power to “Non-power Dams” and Water Management Facilities (lead : USA, ongoing)

Review opportunities to add power to non-power dams and water management facilities. Many existing dams, built for water supply, irrigation, flood control etc., have potential to add hydropower to their discharge or diversion facilities. There is also potential to replace pressure reducing valves, add power to existing water conduits, irrigation canals and drop structures.

SubTask 4 : Hidden Storage  (Lead : Switzerland, ongoing)

Identify hidden solution for sustainable, decentralised electricity storage at the distribution grid level: medium and small pumped storage power plants using existing reservoirs.

Subtask 5: Hydropower Technology Research and Innovation in the context of “Hidden” Hydropower opportunities (Lead : Europe, ongoing)

Summarize and evaluate innovative research and development initiatives that are contributing to the action areas defined in subtasks 1 to 3 and develop a future oriented research and innovation agenda.