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ENERGIX-Stort program energi

Sustainable hydropower development in China and Norway to meet future demands

Awarded: NOK 2.8 mill.

The first year of China-Norway collaboration in the FutureHydro-project has been used to arrange seminars, workshops and field visits to China in order to gain better understanding of the competence and the research challenges of all collaborative partner s. Workshops about "sustainable hydropower development" where arranged both in Beijing and in Jilin during September 2013. Norwegian and Chinese scientists gave overviews of the hydropower system in each country and current and future challenges relate d to the development of large-scale balancing and energy storage from hydropower and environmental impacts of hydropower and potential mitigation. A field trip to the Fengman hydropower plant and reservoir on the Songhua 20 km east of the city of Jilin in Northeast China was also organized. The Fengman dam will be replaced with a new dam and power plant just 100 m downstream the current dam. Several environmental impacts from the dam and possible mitigation were discussed. Several new partners in C hina have been involved in the workshops and field visit, and updated plans for collaborative work are now being discussed. The second year of the project, 2014, Chinese scientists visited Norway during the 10th International Sympoosium on Ecohydraulics, see: http://www.cedren.no/Nyheter/Article/ArticleId/2394/Hydropower-giant-China-looks-to-Norway In 2015, the Norwegian group of scientists visited China for the final meetings, seminars and workshops. See: http://www.cedren.no/english/Nyheter/Article/ArticleId/3935/FutureHydro-workshop-and-visit-to-China

FutureHydro will focus on hydropower and pumped hydrostorage development and their environmental impacts in the context of renewable energy expansion. In order to meet the growing demand of renewable electricity in China and Europe, extensive projects for developing hydropower and pumped hydro-storage to balance intermittent energy sources have been planned. In Norway, the use of existing reservoirs to balance the European intermittent energy sources is motivated by the strong development of intermittent renewable energy to meet the EU targets. However, hydropower and pumped hydro-storage may have negative impacts on the environment, such as modification of physical conditions and deterioration of existing eco-systems in storage reservoirs and downstream rivers. The project's objective is to develop and exchange scientific knowledge between Norway and China regarding the implementation of hydropower and pumped hydro-storage to balance intermittent energy sources. Emphasis will be put on stakeholder intera ction, establishment of long-term collaboration between Norwegian and Chinese partners and to create awareness about how hydropower can contribute to the optimal mix of renewable energies both in China and Norway. The main activities will be a review of t he current and future balancing power demand, the need of capacity of the Chinese hydropower to balance power in a system with continuous increasing electricity demand, and the extension of knowledge of pumped hydro storage utilization with a focus on env ironmental impacts in several case-studies. In parallel to these activities, FutureHydro will strive to encourage the exchange and the dissemination of knowledge by the organization of four seminars gathering students, teachers and researchers in two of t hem, and decision makers in academic, administrative and political positions as well as users in other the two.

Funding scheme:

ENERGIX-Stort program energi