Research topic  /  Sustainable development

Sustainable development

Climate change affects nature, and at the same time land encroachment can also affect the climate. In HydroCen, we are researching how to minimize the negative environmental effects of hydropower production, and how hydropower can be of benefit to society in periods of both floods and droughts.

Sustainable development

Climate change affects nature, and at the same time land encroachment can also affect the climate. In HydroCen, we are researching how to minimize the negative environmental effects of hydropower production, and how hydropower can be of benefit to society in periods of both floods and droughts.

The UN's climate panel (IPCC) and nature panel (IPBES) have established that we have major challenges in halting both climate change and the loss of natural diversity. Natural encroachment and destruction of natural areas is the most important threat to species diversity in Norway. Sustainable land management will not only involve protecting untouched nature, but also restoring damaged nature.

Environmental design can improve the environment in the river

By using the environmental design methodology, bottlenecks for fish production can be identified and the environmental condition of the river can be improved.

Restoration of growth or spawning areas and/or environmentally adapted release of water will be able to provide better conditions for fish while minimizing loss of power production.

Knowledge of fish migration and interdisciplinary cooperation on technological solutions provide new opportunities where fish were previously prevented from migrating up or down past hydropower plants.

More energy from existing hydropower

The development of new renewable energy will contribute to the loss of biological diversity. A more sustainable solution would be to get more energy out of existing hydropower plants. By upgrading and/or expanding existing hydropower plants, we will be able to get more power out of the existing hydropower system with minimal new land interventions. HydroCen is researching the potential for upgrading and expanding hydropower while safeguarding the environment.

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About HydroCen

We are a research center for environmentally friendly energy.

Researchers will deliver knowledge and innovative solutions to Norwegian hydropower.

The goal is for the research to contribute to Norwegian hydropower being able to meet complex challenges and opportunities in the future's renewable energy system.

Norwegian University of Science and technology (NTNU) is the host institution and main research partner in HydroCen together with SINTEF Energy and the Norwegian Institute for Natural Research (NINA). HydroCen has around 50 national and international partners from research, industry and administration.

About the Knowledge Hub

The goal of the Knowledge Hub is to collect and make available the knowledge from the research in HydroCen so that the results can be used directly by the hydropower industry or in further research, thereby helping to ensure value creation and societal benefit.

Newsletter from HydroCen

We regularly send out newsletters with research results and news. Please register here:

About HydroCen

We are a research center for environmentally friendly energy.

Researchers will deliver knowledge and innovative solutions to Norwegian hydropower.

The goal is for the research to contribute to Norwegian hydropower being able to meet complex challenges and opportunities in the future's renewable energy system.

Norwegian University of Science and technology (NTNU) is the host institution and main research partner in HydroCen together with SINTEF Energy and the Norwegian Institute for Natural Research (NINA). HydroCen has around 50 national and international partners from research, industry and administration.

About the Knowledge Hub

The goal of the Knowledge Hub is to collect and make available the knowledge from the research in HydroCen so that the results can be used directly by the hydropower industry or in further research, thereby helping to ensure value creation and societal benefit.

Newsletter from HydroCen

We regularly send out newsletters with research results and news. Please register here:

NEWS AND BLOG POSTS

Avslutningskonferanse: Høydepunkter fra åtte år med forskning på vannkraft

Author: Juliet Landrø

Bedre damsikkerhet og nye turbindesign, løsninger for å få fisk forbi tubiner og smartere verktøy for produksjonsplanlegging er noen av nyvinningene fra HydroCens forskning. I tillegg er det nå mulig å finne feilene før de rammer generatoren og beregne både levetida til vannnkrafttunnelene og finne ut hvor mange fisk som gyter i elva. 

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