Hybrid Hydropower Could Unlock Europe’s Next Renewable Energy Boom

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There is major potential to develop hybrid renewable energy projects on existing hydropower sites, according to a new report by the think tank Ember Energy. We often think of renewable energy projects as standalone operations rather than resources that can be combined to produce higher clean energy output. However, there could be great potential for hybrid projects, as energy companies look to maximise and stabilise their energy production.

According to a report published this week by Ember, 25 GW of wind and solar can be added to existing hydropower plants across seven EU countries to achieve hybrid operations. The “hybridisation” of existing hydropower projects could help the countries assessed – Austria, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Portugal, Romania, and Spain – integrate 18% of the new renewables anticipated by 2030 without using additional grid capacity, according to Ember.

The report suggests that hybridisation could nearly double the use of existing grid connections, thereby reducing the need to spend on expansion projects. Meanwhile, the hydropower plants that Ember deems eligible for hybridisation currently achieve just 19 per cent of their maximum output on average. Integrating wind and solar resources has the potential to boost this utilisation to 36% and 31%, respectively.

At present, of the seven EU countries Ember assessed, just Spain and Portugal have established rules for hybrid projects, meaning that regulatory guidelines do not exist elsewhere. Creating legislation on hybrid developments could help encourage and facilitate investment in the sector.

The Three Gorges Dam in China. Source: Wikipedia