The role of hydropower in the EU’s Renewable Energies Policy

13 September 2011

Øyvind Vessia (oyvind.vessia@ec.europa.eu) DG Energy, European Commission

Content:

.EU’s policy on renewable energy

.What are planned of hydropower towards 2020 in the EU?

.Refurbishment and re-powering of hydropower plants

.Conflict between producing hydropower and following the Water Framework Directive (WFD)?

49%

13%

16%

13%

30%

18%

25%

16%

18%

20%

23%

17%

13%

40%

23%

11%

13%

14%

34%

15%

31%

24%

25%

14%

38%

15%

10%

RES share in 2020

BEBGCZDKDEEEIEELESFRITCYLVLTLUHUMTNLATPLPTROSISKFISEUK

EU-27 efforts in Renewables

2.2%

9.4%

6.1%

17.0%

5.8%

18.0%

3.1%

6.9%

8.7%

10.3%

5.2%

2.9%

32.6%

15%

0.9%

4.3%

2.4%

23.3%

7.2%

20.5%

17.8%

16%

6.7%

28.5%

1.3%

39.8%

0%

RES share in 2005

Member States’ targets

Based on 2005 starting point, recent progress and a balanced sharing of the effort, weighted by GDP/capita

Technology Results from the National Renewable Energy Action Plans

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Other Biofuels

Hydrogen

Biodiesel

Bioethanol

Heat pumps

bioliquids Heat

biogas Heat

solid Biomass Heat

Solar Heat

Geothermal Heat

bioliquids Electricity

biogas Electricity

solid Biomass Electricity

offshore

onshore

Tide, w ave, ocean

concentrated solar pow er

photovoltaic

Geothermal Electricity

Hydro

ktoe

Hydropower 2010 – 2020 in various Member States

Hydropower production

0

10.000

20.000

30.000

40.000

50.000

60.000

70.000

80.000

AT BU CZ EE FR GR IE LV LU NL PL SK ES UK

GW

h

Hydro: 2010

Hydro 2020

Hydropower in total for EU27

0

50.000

100.000

150.000

200.000

250.000

300.000

350.000

MW GWh MW GWh MW GWh MW GWh

2005 2010 2015 2020

<1MW

1MW–10 MW

>10MW

Of which pumping

Trends: Hydropower in the EU (NREAPS)

.Hydropower is more than 50% of current RES-electricity» Will be around 30% in 2020

.Moderate increase in hydropower (2010 – 2020):» Around 25 TWh (8%) consisting of:

• 17.5 TWh large hydro (>10 MW)• 6.0 TWh medium• 1.5 TWh small (<1 MW)

Re-powering and refurbishment of hydropower (1/2)

.NREAPs estimate an increase of 8 TWh of pumping» Expected as a response to more variable

power production and prices

» 2010: 23 TWh of pumping – i.e. increase of 35% towards 2020

» Part of this will be refurbishment of old installations

Re-powering and refurbishment of hydropower (2/2)

.Refurbishment of hydropower plants offers important opportunities:» Increased efficiency of turbines and generators – i.e.

more renewable electricity

» More flexible operation – more value from each litre of water by producing when prices are the highest

» Possible to improve ecological status of the waterbodies

» BUT – operators might delay refurbishment of fear of more stringent ecological requirements (and thus lower production)

• The result is that the refurbishment does not take place, with neither global (RES) or local (WFD) benefits

Example from Sweden: “Constant Concessions Under Changing Circumstances: the Water and Renewable Energy Directives and Hydropower in Sweden”, Peter M. Rudberg SEI http://sei-international.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-ProjectReport-Rudberg-ConstantConcessionsUnderChangingCircumstances-2011-2ndEd.pdf

Conflicts between WFD and hydropower?

.A recent study commisioned by DG ENV estimated that hydropower could be reduced by only 8-9 TWh (2.3 – 2.6% of total hydro) because of ecological mitigation required by the WFD

.BUT also found that refurbishment can lead to both ecological mitigation AND increased production of hydropower.

Conclusions

.Hydropower is an important source of renewable electricity in the EU

.Limited increase in production (8%) towards 2020, but different operation (pumping increases with 35%)

.Refurbishment offer important opportunities to combine ecological mitigation and increased hydropower production