Major hydropower plant operators, including Enel, EDP, EDF, Engie, Iberdrola, Fortum, Statkraft, Uniper, Vattenfall, and Verbund, have formed the Hydropower Alliance to advocate for the adoption of a strategy for the hydropower sector by the European Commission. The Alliance has a combined capacity of 111 GW and seeks to provide assurances for companies in the sector, which has gained renewed interest from investors due to the current energy crisis.
The European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, met with representatives of the Alliance in Brussels and acknowledged the importance of hydropower as a crucial source of renewable electricity for the European Union. She stated that “the Hydropower Alliance brings together the biggest players in the field, with a combined 111 GW of capacity, and it is an important voice in shaping the future of the sector.”
The Hydropower Alliance believes that hydropower is an essential pillar of the energy transition, providing affordable, dispatchable, and safe renewable electricity. The platform also emphasizes the role of repowering existing facilities and installing new ones to achieve the EU's climate neutrality goals.
The Alliance has requested that hydropower be declared a strategic technology and that an adequate, reliable, and sustainable economic, political, and legal framework be created for investments. The role of pumped storage is particularly relevant, as it allows excess electricity from intermittent sources like wind and solar power to be stored and delivered to the grid when there is a deficit.
While hydropower projects have faced strong opposition from locals and environmentalists, the Hydropower Alliance points out that a vast capacity can be refurbished or upgraded with little environmental impact. The association of French hydropower operators, FHE, claims that the country's output in the sector could grow by a fifth, equivalent to last winter's entire coal and gas imports.
Despite the Alliance's advocacy, the resistance to hydropower projects remains strong in the Western Balkans and Southeastern Europe. In March, Albania declared the Vjosa, one of the last wild rivers in the continent, a national park with the highest level of protection, following a decade-long struggle against proposed dams.
In conclusion, the Hydropower Alliance seeks to promote the adoption of a strategy for the hydropower sector by the European Commission and emphasizes the importance of hydropower as a crucial source of renewable electricity for the European Union. As Kadri Simson stated, “The EU needs all forms of renewable energy to achieve its objectives, and hydropower is an important part of this.”
