Transforming Classical Hydropower Generation for Flexibility in the Global Energy Transition: Challenges, Requirements, and Prospects
This review article covers the multidisciplinary challenges shaping hydropower development within a broader energy transition. Classical hydropower generation facilities are moving toward flexible operations to adapt to and facilitate the integration of variable renewable energy sources (VRES). This...
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| Language: | English |
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IEEE
2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10975800/ |
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| author | Yannick Cyiza Karekezi Frederic Maurer Dany Josue Tome Robles Thomas Oyvang Jonas Kristiansen Noland |
| author_facet | Yannick Cyiza Karekezi Frederic Maurer Dany Josue Tome Robles Thomas Oyvang Jonas Kristiansen Noland |
| author_sort | Yannick Cyiza Karekezi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This review article covers the multidisciplinary challenges shaping hydropower development within a broader energy transition. Classical hydropower generation facilities are moving toward flexible operations to adapt to and facilitate the integration of variable renewable energy sources (VRES). This review article explores the paradigm shift in terms of machine design considerations, power plant operation, and grid regulator implications. Machine designers, consider magnetic saturation, energy efficiency estimation, and mechanical wear and tear. This could involve, high flux densities in certain core regions, lower weighted average efficiencies, and higher machine failures owing to insulation degradation. Moreover, power plant operators must consider the effects of the flexible power production caused by VRES. In some cases, hydropower ramping ranges from 1 to 5 megawatts (MW) per second for large hydropower plants, which pose technical challenges for operators. Moreover, transmission system operators must strengthen reactive power mandates and system-bearing ancillary service markets to ensure grid stability. In certain regions, there could be longer periods with a significant reduction in physical inertia and short-circuit grid strength owing to the lower share of classical non-inverter-based generation facilities in VRES-rich power systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dc7161d4fefe4de8b4c19504e5761e18 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2169-3536 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IEEE |
| record_format | Article |
| series | IEEE Access |
| spelling | doaj-art-dc7161d4fefe4de8b4c19504e5761e182025-08-20T02:14:54ZengIEEEIEEE Access2169-35362025-01-0113747627478010.1109/ACCESS.2025.356412310975800Transforming Classical Hydropower Generation for Flexibility in the Global Energy Transition: Challenges, Requirements, and ProspectsYannick Cyiza Karekezi0Frederic Maurer1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0363-5218Dany Josue Tome Robles2Thomas Oyvang3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2970-7598Jonas Kristiansen Noland4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3656-1032ABB AS, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Information Technology and Cybernetics, University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), Porsgrunn, NorwayDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Information Technology and Cybernetics, University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), Porsgrunn, NorwayDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Information Technology and Cybernetics, University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), Porsgrunn, NorwayDepartment of Electric Energy (IEL), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, NorwayThis review article covers the multidisciplinary challenges shaping hydropower development within a broader energy transition. Classical hydropower generation facilities are moving toward flexible operations to adapt to and facilitate the integration of variable renewable energy sources (VRES). This review article explores the paradigm shift in terms of machine design considerations, power plant operation, and grid regulator implications. Machine designers, consider magnetic saturation, energy efficiency estimation, and mechanical wear and tear. This could involve, high flux densities in certain core regions, lower weighted average efficiencies, and higher machine failures owing to insulation degradation. Moreover, power plant operators must consider the effects of the flexible power production caused by VRES. In some cases, hydropower ramping ranges from 1 to 5 megawatts (MW) per second for large hydropower plants, which pose technical challenges for operators. Moreover, transmission system operators must strengthen reactive power mandates and system-bearing ancillary service markets to ensure grid stability. In certain regions, there could be longer periods with a significant reduction in physical inertia and short-circuit grid strength owing to the lower share of classical non-inverter-based generation facilities in VRES-rich power systems.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10975800/Super-flexible hydro generatorsmachine designmechanical stressoperational challengesmagnetic saturationthermal management |
| spellingShingle | Yannick Cyiza Karekezi Frederic Maurer Dany Josue Tome Robles Thomas Oyvang Jonas Kristiansen Noland Transforming Classical Hydropower Generation for Flexibility in the Global Energy Transition: Challenges, Requirements, and Prospects IEEE Access Super-flexible hydro generators machine design mechanical stress operational challenges magnetic saturation thermal management |
| title | Transforming Classical Hydropower Generation for Flexibility in the Global Energy Transition: Challenges, Requirements, and Prospects |
| title_full | Transforming Classical Hydropower Generation for Flexibility in the Global Energy Transition: Challenges, Requirements, and Prospects |
| title_fullStr | Transforming Classical Hydropower Generation for Flexibility in the Global Energy Transition: Challenges, Requirements, and Prospects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transforming Classical Hydropower Generation for Flexibility in the Global Energy Transition: Challenges, Requirements, and Prospects |
| title_short | Transforming Classical Hydropower Generation for Flexibility in the Global Energy Transition: Challenges, Requirements, and Prospects |
| title_sort | transforming classical hydropower generation for flexibility in the global energy transition challenges requirements and prospects |
| topic | Super-flexible hydro generators machine design mechanical stress operational challenges magnetic saturation thermal management |
| url | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10975800/ |
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