Hydroforum 2021, was the 10th edition of the Polish Hydropower Association organized on 13-15th October in Gdansk by Professor Janusz Steller. 130 participants were registered to attend 31 Lectures in 8 sessions with simultaneous translation.

Very interesting lectures introduced multiple innovations: hybridization with floating PV (Norwep), new turbines (Voith, ultra low head Kaplan, hydrokinetic), maritime structures with three RES (Wuprohyd), “fishlift” concept (Pelikan), prediction and remediation of cavitation (Steller, Belse), hidden hydro in municipal water networks, remote assessment of fish spawning sites (Vytaulas Magnus Univ.), double active fish pass (Ioze). New multipurpose projects of dams and Vistula cascade project were also presented. For more information on papers and presentations, contact Prof. Steller.

Two H2020 projects were presented. Jean-Jacques Fry introduced the HYDROPOWER EUROPE forum and its deliverables, the RIA and SIR. Ingo Ball introduced the HYPOSO project.

Professor Steller organized an interesting debate on the reason of failing to launch large hydropower projects (like the Lower Vistula Cascade and subsequent PSH). There was a consensus on the fact that our profession has failed to convince politicians for different reasons. Dr. J-J Fry explained there is an inconsistency between the decreasing cost of wind and solar energies (VRE) and the increasing cost of electricity. The cost of electricity is the sum of generation cost + taxes + transport cost + grid balancing (flexibility and storage) cost. Larger share of VRE increases grid balancing cost. Flexibility and storage are negative externalities of VRE. Externalities are valued by regulation and not by the market alone. The solution is to demonstrate to policy makers that hydropower is the solution for flexibility and storage minimizing electricity cost, for societal services (navigation, protection against floods, irrigation, etc.) with sustainable solutions protecting biodiversity from climate changes.

Ingo BALL, the coordinator of HYPOSO, introduced this project and its platform. HYPOSO means Hydropower solutions for developing and emerging countries. It is important to note that the HYPOSO Platform is an online forum that promotes the European SHP industry in key export markets. The HYPOSO Platform facilitates individual promotion of European suppliers/service organisations. Joining the exclusive HYPOSO Platform with just some clicks is an opportunity to meet future business partners to develop hydro projects in Africa (Cameroon, Uganda) and Latin America (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador). Find out more at https://www.hyposo.eu/en/hyposo-platform/ ” and ingo.ball@wip-munich.de

More information on this event:

Janusz Steller, DSc
President of the Polish Hydropower Association
Szewalski Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery
of the Polish Academy of Sciences 
ul.Fiszera 14, 80-728 Gdansk, Poland
phone: +48 58 5225 139, mob.: +48 608 19 71 85

https://www.tew.pl/index.php/en/

^{_{Participants of Hydroforum 2021 Gdansk}}