Luleå University of Technology Leads Europe’s Future in Hydropower

Since the beginning of the year, Luleå University of Technology has been leading two major EU-funded research projects in hydropower: Store2Hydro and RevHydro. The projects aim to increase the efficiency and sustainability of Europe's hydropower plants and have the potential to revolutionize how we store and utilize energy.

These two prestigious EU projects will span several years and involve international collaborations with academia and industry. Both Store2Hydro and RevHydro have received funding to develop new technologies that enhance hydropower’s role in a future dominated by renewable energy.

More Flexible Storage

The Store2Hydro project, led by Staffan Lundström, Professor of Fluid Mechanics at Luleå University of Technology, began at the turn of the year and is working to improve the possibilities for storing electricity in existing European hydropower facilities.

“With the increase in intermittent electricity from wind and solar, the flexibility of hydropower becomes increasingly important,” says Staffan Lundström. The project aims to use surplus electricity from renewable sources like solar and wind to pump water upstream, a technique known as pumped storage, to balance the energy market and contribute to a more stable power supply.

In the first year, the project will map out potential locations in Europe where various types of pumped storage can be implemented, followed by deeper analyses of technology, social acceptance, ecology, life cycle assessment, and economics.

Staffan Lundström and Michel Cervantes.

Technology for More Efficient Hydropower with RevHydro

RevHydro is led by Michel Cervantes, also a Professor of Fluid Mechanics at Luleå University of Technology. The project focuses on developing and validating new flow control devices for hydraulic turbines. The goal is to increase the efficiency and flexibility of turbines, which is crucial for supporting the integration of more renewable energy.

“We will develop innovative solutions that can be applied to the majority of existing hydropower facilities and introduce new fish barriers and a circular design strategy to improve sustainability,” explains Michel Cervantes.

The projects are based on close cooperation with research institutions, companies, and community stakeholders across Europe. Both emphasize that the success of these projects depends on their ability to work effectively together across different countries, disciplines, and organizational cultures, and on the importance of industrial collaboration to ensure that the research has a practical application.

The long-term goals for both projects are ambitious. For Store2Hydro, it involves identifying and implementing the best locations for pumped storage in Europe and integrating these technologies into existing hydropower plants. In RevHydro, the aim is to develop technologies that reduce the need for extensive renovations and improve turbine efficiency and flexibility, which in turn supports the integration of more intermittent renewable energy.

“We are really looking forward to advancing this research,” says Michel Cervantes, adding, “It is about creating a more flexible and sustainable energy supply that can meet the demands of the future.”

• Fluid mechanics
• Swedish Center for Sustainable Hydropower
• Store2Hydro External link.