Intelligent dispatching and optimal operation of cascade hydropower plants based on spatiotemporal big data

Hydropower is the backbone of Norway’s electricity system, generating a remarkable 96% of the nation’s electricity. Meanwhile, China has emerged as a global hydropower powerhouse, growing its installed capacity twentyfold over the past four decades to reach a staggering 352 GW, contributing to more than one-quarter of the world's total. This shared commitment to hydropower provides fertile ground for strategic collaboration between China and Norway, particularly as both nations seek to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) in revolutionizing hydropower scheduling. As the energy market evolves, particularly with the rise of variable renewable energy sources and increasing time-resolution requirements, traditional stochastic models fall short in responding swiftly to power system fluctuations. To meet these new challenges, the IntHydro project is pioneering the use of AI to transform hydropower operations, creating a next-generation decision support tool designed to optimize water resource management and enhance coordination with renewable energy sources. The digitalization of hydropower scheduling offers a paradigm shift for the industry. By integrating AI at every stage of the scheduling process, stakeholders can gain unprecedented insight and agility in managing complex water resource networks. The IntHydro platform is positioned to become the leading-edge solution, combining data-driven intelligence with real-time decision-making capabilities. Key advantages include: • Dynamic Adaptation: AI algorithms enable hydropower plants to respond in real-time to rapid changes in the power system, improving the balance between electricity supply and demand, even with time intervals as short as 15 minutes. • Optimal Resource Allocation: Through sophisticated machine learning techniques, the platform optimizes water usage, ensuring that hydropower resources are utilized efficiently and in harmony with other renewable sources, such as wind and solar. • Enhanced Decision Support: By embedding intelligent monitoring systems and real-time operational guidance, the digital platform ensures plant operators can make informed decisions, minimizing operational risks and maximizing profitability. The project will focus on building an innovative digital platform to unify strategic and operational modeling. A key deliverable is a prototype that will enable precise, time-scaled modeling for both hydropower and other renewable energy sources. Furthermore, IntHydro will demonstrate the tangible value of AI-enhanced scheduling through a practical tool capable of addressing real-world technical and economic challenges. This partnership between Norway and China will set a global benchmark for AI applications in renewable energy management, showcasing how advanced digital tools can bring efficiency, reliability, and sustainability to hydropower operations. The success of IntHydro could redefine the future of energy collaboration between nations, fostering a smarter, greener global energy grid.

The scope of the IntHydro project is at the centre of the thematic area ‘Digitalisation of traditional industries’ in the RCN Chinese-Norwegian Collaborative Projects on Digitalisation call. The aim of the IntHydro project is to explore and define intelligent hydropower scheduling using ML techniques. The scheduling methodology will address shortcomings in existing hydropower scheduling models to deal with uncertainties brought by the high share of variable renewable energy resources in both Norwegian and Chinese power system. To this end, the primary objective of IntHydro can be summarised as: “Develop and demonstrate a new hydropower scheduling tool based on machine learning techniques, which manages the hydropower plants more efficiently and effectively through optimizing water resource management and multi-dispatch between hydropower and variable renewable energy sources.” In “IntHydro”, NTNU is the grant applicant and will be the project leader. The Norwegian research partners are Smart Innovation Norway (SIN) and HydroCen. The Norwegian industry partners are Østfold Energi and Lyse. Chinese partners are Houhai University, NanJing NARI Water Resources and Hydropower Technology Company, Ltd, and Yalong River Hydropower Development Company, Ltd. The Norwegian partners will be involved in the daily operation of the project and will also be invited into a steering board is the governing body of the project. In addition to being active in the research, the Chinese partner will be advisors to the management group on scientific matters. There will be one PhD student, and the candidate will play a central role in developing methodologies and participate in the other issues.