Hydropower

Customer challenges
in hydropower systems

Hydropower as an emission-free source of renewable energy provides efficient electricity generation around the world all year round in all weather conditions. In contrary to wind and solar energy, hydropower does not suffer from the intermittent nature and inherent limitations of its resources. This makes hydropower an especially efficient way to produce energy. However, such flexible electricity production does not come without its own challenges and problems.

At a typical hydropower plant, everything happens mechanically. When frequency changes in the power grid, the hydropower plant’s job is to respond to it as fast as possible, preferably under a second. This happens by adjusting the turbines and control vanes and the distance of their movements, which can take up to minutes. Changes in supply and demand for electricity has a major effect on the frequency, thus it can change countless times a day. By constantly moving and adjusting the mechanical parts their lifetime decreases considerably along with the life cycle of the hydropower plant as a whole. Operation costs skyrocket and more frequent service and maintenance is needed, which most of the time means emptying the dam completely.

Merus^® Solutions improving power quality
in hydropower systems

• Significant reduction of mechanical movements, like turbine and control vanes
  • Remarkable reduction of wear and tear
  • The number of adjustments can be reduced by more than 80% and the distance of the adjustment movements by more than 50%
  • Operating and maintenance costs are vastly reduced
  • The life cycle of a hydropower plant can be doubled, e.g., 20 to 40 years
• Participation in the frequency response services for additional revenue
• Extremely fast response time of Merus^® ESS and the adjustment potential of hydropower plant allow for even more additional income in frequency response services
• Opportunity to participate in the frequency response services even with the new and more stringent ENTSO-E regulations