Page 52 - European Energy Innovation - autumn 2018 publication

52 Autumn 2018 European Energy Innovation

HYDROPOWER

Recharging Hydropower
in Europe

By Hege Brende, Executive Director HydroCen, NTNU, Ole Gunnar Dahlhaug, Professor, NTNU and
Arne Nysveen, Professor, NTNU

Renewable energy is a hot present, large parts of Europe As a renewable energy source,
topic in Europe. EU has depend on coal, gas and nuclear hydropower has a unique ability to
ambitious targets to reduce power to deliver necessary store energy, and produce electricity,
its greenhouse gas emissions electricity. Further, the on demand.
by 80-95% by 2050. Billions are being implementation of wind and solar
invested, and expectations are sky presents new challenges to the A VALUABLE TECHNOLOGY
high. In this scenario, what is the role energy system; these technologies Good regulation is a requirement
of hydropower? only produce electricity when the for stability and supply in all energy
sun shines and the wind blows, but systems, and there is an increasing
In recent years, we have seen meteorological conditions does not challenge to manage and provide
massive deployment of wind and necessarily coincide with the needs necessary flexibility in a renewable
solar, paving way for a renewable of grid system operators, industrial energy system. Organisations such
energy system in Europe. Still, at consumers or households. as IEA, NREL and EURELECTRIC

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