Section D: Flexibility options in generation and storage of power and heat

Thursday, 14 September 2017, 14:30-15:00h/D02

New flexibility options of hydro power – opportunities and examples

Martin Schrott, VERBUND Hydro Power GmbH, Austria

Potentials for the moderate and sensible expansion of domestic electricity production from hydropower are available and can be developed. The reduced technical and economic residual potential of hydropower in Austria is 12.7 TWh, of which 8.5 TWh could be exploited by 2030.

In order to generate and use hydropower sustainably and to achieve the climate goals, it is necessary to face the challenge of reaching the environmental objectives of the EU Water Framework Directive, without causing significant restrictions on the use of water in river stretches.

From the perspective of the electricity system, storage and pumped-storage hydropower plants complement perfectly other renewable energies such as wind and solar power because of their rapid control capability. The flexible operation of storage hydropower plants can cause short-term flow fluctuation downstream, which is known as “hydropeaking”. The ecological impacts of hydropeaking mitigation measures must be compared with their impacts on the electricity system, their macroeconomic consequences as well as their impacts on business level. Based on this, in a next step specified packages of measures can be designed and adapted to the local conditions of the respective power plant, to ensure the achievement of the targeted ecological status. The hydropeaking mitigation measures are restrictions on the operation of hydropower plants, retention basins, and new-build diversion power plants; all three measures are evaluated with or without additional morphological rehabilitation measures.

Expansion projects such as the pumped-storage plant Reißeck II or the „Unterer Tuxbach“ project make additional potential usable and increase the flexibility of the system. Nevertheless, the impacts on nature are kept to a minimum. These and other examples show how modern hydroelectric power plant construction fulfills the target triangle of economy, security of supply and environmental compatibility as best as possible.