Context

This HYDROPOWER EUROPE Forum event will present results and recommendations arising from the HYDROPOWER EUROPE project, which was created under the European Union call: “H2020-LC-SC3-2018-2019-2020 (BUILDING A LOW-CARBON, CLIMATE RESILIENT FUTURE: SECURE, CLEAN AND EFFICIENT ENERGY)” and which has been running since 2018.

Hydropower development in Europe faces a large number of challenges. To meet these environmental, societal, technological and commercial challenges, new approaches are needed. Europe's desire to decarbonise energy is a unique opportunity for hydropower to redeploy itself, provided it develops greater flexibility and social and environmental acceptability.

In the field of energy production, hydroelectricity remains an excellent catalyst to support the energy transition and the fight against global warming. Besides flexible electricity supply, hydropower reservoirs provide other services such as flood and drought protection and food and water supply, and thus contributes to the Water-Energy-Food NEXUS as well as achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Today, hydropower alone produces three quarters of renewable electricity in the world and still has strong development potential.

Objectives

The objective of this online event is to present the results of the HYDROPOWER EUROPE Project, namely the conclusions drawn from the various consultation events with different sector stakeholders which led to the creation of the Research and Innovation Agenda (RIA) and the Strategic Industry Roadmap (SIR). The event focus will be on the following items:

• Needs for Research and Innovation
• Challenges of hydropower development in Europe
• The future of the hydropower sector

Agenda

The event will take place on the 23rd February 2022 from 9h30 to 11h45. After an opening address from an invited speaker from the European Commission underlying the importance of hydropower as a catalyst for the energy transition, the main outcomes and recommendations from the RIA and SIR will be presented.  The responsible EU project officers will then briefly comment on the achievements of the HYDROPOWER EUROPE Forum. Then the question “What are the strategic actions to be deployed across all stakeholders?” will be addressed in a roundtable discussion involving all speakers and the participating audience. Finally, the intentions regarding the future of the HYDROPOWER EUROPE Forum as a common and permanent voice in Europe will be presented. Closing remarks will conclude the event.

Registration and Summary Documents

Please register for the event “The important Role of Hydropower in the Energy Transition” online. You will be contacted before the event with the connection details as well as the final agenda.

Brochures summarising the main outcomes of the Research and Innovation Agenda (RIA) and the Strategic Industry Roadmap (SIR) are available HERE