Making flexible hydropower a reality

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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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News

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.

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NEWS

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.

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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
Armines
CEA
EDF
EDP
EPFL
GE Renewable Energy
HES SO
IHA
INESCTEC
MINES Paris Tech
New World Energy
PVE
SuperGrid Institute
UPC
Universitat Stuttgart
Voith
Zabala
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Latest news

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.

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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.

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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.

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Knowledge Hub

Business

Methodology for costing the XFLEX HYDRO technologies.

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Business

Methodology and assumptions for evaluating the profitability of these technologies.

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Business

Implications of ENTSO-E scenarios TYNDP 2022 on future electricity market behavior, reserve demand, and prices

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General

Recommendations towards the deployment of hydropower flexibility technologies

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Read the report
General

Site visit: Smart Power Plant Supervisor with integrated battery control

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Read the report