events – STOR-HY

STOR-HY marks one year of innovation and collaboration at ots third consortium meeting in Sion

Posted on 07/10/202510/07/2026 by STOR-HY

From 1 to 3 October, the STOR-HY partners gathered in Sion, Switzerland, for the project’s third consortium meeting, which was hosted by the HES-SO Valais-Wallis School of Engineering. The meeting coincided with the project’s first anniversary, marking a year of progress and close collaboration.

Work package updates

Each Work Package (WP) leader presented an update on their work since the previous consortium meeting in May. The UPC, leader of WP1, provided an overview of the project’s status, including the visits to the EDF demonstrators and the testing plans for the EDP demonstrators (Alqueva and Vilarinho). The following work was performed on the EDF demonstrators:

Modal analysis at Vouglans/Saut-Mortier by the UPC
Installation of the turbidity sensor at Le Cheylas by Andritz
Installation of the monitoring system at Le Cheylas by the UPC
Installation of turbidity and sediment sensors at La Rance by Andritz and EDF

The project coordinator, Alexandre Presas, also introduced the Gender Assessment Team, which monitors the implementation of the Gender Action Plan and held its first meeting in September. A gender balance survey was sent to all partners to collect data on the gender identity of project participants, which will be used to establish KPIs.

For WP2, INESCTEC, UT, and NORCE presented the techno-economic-regulatory, environmental, and societal dimensions that had been discussed during the “Identification of New Hydropower Requirements in a Context of Climate Change and RES-powered System” workshop in July.

Updates for WP3 included an overview of the Cyber-physical clone for Advance Decision Support (CADS), the installation of the aforementioned sensors and monitoring systems in the EDF demonstrators. Andritz explained that there were some issues with the sediment measurements, because the values were very low. PSP equipment at the Vouglans-Saut-Mortier-Coiselet (VSMC), Le Cheylas, and Alqueva demonstrators has been modelled.

In the WP4 presentation, partners presented their progress on back-to-back starting to achieve grid synchronisation and energy management of hydropower hybridised with battery energy storage systems and photovoltaics in Alqueva. The WP5 partners explained how they are enhancing the durability of PSP equipment in harsh operating conditions and saltwater environments, including biofouling, technical coatings, and sediment measurement.

As part of WP6, FAEN, HUNOSA, and SADIM provided updates on the location, size, and cost analysis of the Pozu Figaredo demonstrator, while EDP NEW presented the Demo Management Board. Other partners provided updates on the rest of the demonstrators.

UT presented the results of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) at La Rance, while NORCE gave a presentation on tracking social acceptance of hydropower through media discourse (WP7). vgbe presented the exploitation master plan methodology for market uptake and post-project exploitation (WP8), while Zabala highlighted the project’s communication and dissemination activities, including event attendance and social media statistics.

Visit to HES-SO labs

The consortium had the opportunity to attend a demonstration on inertia-less microgrids at the HES-SO Gridlab and visited the Hydro Alps Lab, which focuses on projects in the field of monitoring and improving alpine high-pressure and run-of-river power plants, including condition monitoring, digital clones, and digitalisation.

Public seminar

STOR-HY organised a public seminar entitled “Harnessing Hydropower’s Energy Storage and Flexibility for the Energy Transition”, featuring both internal and external speakers. Fabrizio Sossan, who hosted this consortium meeting, introduced the role of energy storage in future power systems. Two representatives of Swiss energy companies were among the speakers. Bernard Valluy from Alpiq discussed the role of hydropower innovation in the European electrical system, and Daniel Fischlin gave a presentation on the transformation of energy companies from energy producers to grid stabilisers.

Alexandre Presas presented the STOR-HY project, and Cécile Münch-Alligné from HES-SO explained how numerical simulations are shaping the future of hydropower, including the challenges of hydraulic short circuits and sediment erosion.

The event concluded with an industrial roundtable with representatives of the project partners: António Aires de Matos (EDP), Jérôme Auguste (EDF), Magdalena Neuhauser (ANDRITZ), Patrick Boissonneau (GE Vernova), and Ricard Subirà (Sener).

Workshop: Identification of New Hydropower Requirements in a Context of Climate Change and RES-powered System

Posted on 30/07/202530/07/2025 by STOR-HY

On 29 July 2025, STOR-HY held its first workshop, titled “Identification of New Hydropower Requirements in a Context of Climate Change and RES-Powered Systems”. This online event brought together experts from across Europe to discuss how hydropower, particularly PSH, can evolve to meet the demands of a clean, renewable energy-driven future.

The workshop presented the development of the STOR-HY matrix, a multidimensional tool based on the XFLEX HYDRO framework. The matrix has three dimensions:

Techno-Economic-Regulatory (TER) dimension: Fernando Ribeiro and Sofia Varotto from INESC TEC discussed how this dimension explores the capability of demonstrators to provide flexibility and grid services within the current European regulatory and market framework for ancillary services.
Environmental and economic dimension: So Pyay from the University of Twente covered the environmental and long-term economic impact of PSH plants throughout their entire lifetime, including commissioning, operation, and decommissioning.
Societal acceptance: Jason Deegan from the Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE) presented on how this dimension evaluates the level of local community and stakeholder approval or opposition towards the plants and proposed technological solutions.

As grids become more complex and reliant on intermittent renewable energy sources, long-duration storage and flexible assets like PSH will be essential. The STOR-HY project is working to ensure that these technologies are ready to meet tomorrow’s demands—technically robust, environmentally responsible, and socially accepted.

This workshop forms part of STOR-HY’s mission to ensure that pumped storage hydropower remains at the heart of a resilient, sustainable, and flexible European energy system.

Did you miss the event? Watch the full recording on YouTube.

We would like to thank all the speakers and attendees who contributed to this engaging session, and we look forward to continued collaboration in shaping the next generation of pumped storage hydropower, ensuring that it aligns with Europe’s climate goals, regulatory frameworks, environmental stewardship, and societal expectations.

Second consortium meeting

Posted on 16/05/202510/07/2026 by STOR-HY

On May 14-15, the STOR-HY partners met online for the second Consortium Meeting and General Assembly.

Day 1: project updates and progress

The first day of the meeting began with an overview session and a presentation of the activities carried out within Work Package (WP) 1: Project Management, delivered by the coordinator, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC).

Then, partners presented their advances in WP2: Requirements of Future Pumped Storage Plants; WP3: Modelling and CADS; WP4: Dispatching and Control of PSP; WP5: Saltwater and Harsh Environments; WP6: Demonstrator Activities and Updates; WP7: Sustainability; and WP8: Project Exploitation.

They also presented the demonstrator visits that had taken place in recent months, including those to Le Cheylas and Vouglans-Saut Mortier-Coiselet (VSMC) in January and La Rance in February. The three sites are owned by EDF.

Day 2: project updates and General Assembly

During the first part of the session on Day 2, Zabala Innovation presented their work within WP9: Dissemination and Communication Activities. Partners then discussed important topics relevant to the project and decided on the next steps during the General Assembly.

As the STOR-HY progresses, the first results are beginning to emerge. In line with our mission to reduce the capital and operational costs of innovative pumped storage projects, progress is being made by increasing the durability and recyclability of pumped storage plant components, while minimising costs and environmental impacts and increasing social acceptance. These early achievements reflect the dedication and collaboration of all partners, marking an important step forward towards reducing costs, extending capabilities, enabling predictive maintenance and providing digital tools, and increasing resilience in pumped storage hydropower.

STOR-HY joins Brussels Hydropower Day 2025 to highlight the future of flexible and sustainable energy

Posted on 10/04/202503/02/2026 by storhyeu4dmIn

STOR-HY will reduce the capital and operational costs of pumped storage projects by increasing the durability and recyclability of components and developing operational strategies for unconventional schemes.

Brussels, 16 April 2024 — Representatives of the STOR-HY project participated in the Brussels Hydropower Day 2025, which took place on 8 April in Brussels and was organised by ETIP HYDROPOWER. The event brought together key stakeholders from across Europe to discuss the essential role of hydropower flexibility and storage in promoting a climate-resilient and secure energy system.

The conference addressed the challenges and opportunities facing the sector, including environmental integration, social acceptance and climate change impacts. It also highlighted the importance of aligning hydropower development with the European Union (EU)’s Clean Industrial Deal and the upcoming Horizon Europe funding priorities.

STOR-HY, a project funded by Horizon Europe, is developing innovative technologies for pumped storage hydropower (PSH), including solutions adapted to saline environments and other harsh and unconventional operating conditions. By detecting early failure mechanisms, the project aims to postpone unnecessary maintenance and avoid unplanned outages, while optimising plant availability, offering increased storage potential, peak shaving, fast response regulation and ancillary services for grid resilience, and ensuring long-term sustainability and cost-effectiveness.

As part of the ETIP HYDROPOWER cluster, which brings together several EU-funded hydropower projects in different focus areas such as digitalisation, refurbishment, and pumped storage hydropower, STOR-HY’s participation in the event is in line with its objectives, contributing to the wider sectoral dialogue on enabling grid flexibility through long-term energy storage, promoting climate resilient infrastructure, and addressing environmental and social sustainability in hydropower projects.

Key highlights of the day included insights from representatives of the European Commission (DG RTD and DG ENV) on the strategic role of hydropower in the EU’s energy and industrial strategies, case studies on the operation of small and large hydropower plants under current market conditions, and presentations on hydropower’s relationship with the environment, including the Nature Restoration Law, biodiversity management, and sediment flow, as well as on the impact of climate change on the hydropower sector, both on future production and on hydropower’s role as a key contributor to climate change adaptation, mitigation, and water resources management.

Dr. Denis Aelbrecht, Governing Board Chair of ETIP HYDROPOWER and Head of Technology at the Électricité de France (EDF) Hydro Engineering Centre, mentioned the contribution of hydropower to flexibility and storage as part of the energy transition in partnership with environmental sustainability. Prof. Anton Schleiss, Scientific Coordinator of ETIP HYDROPOWER and Honorary President of the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), stated that Europe needs more flexible and climate-proof hydropower, and that the hydropower sector must continue to work on raising social awareness and developing solutions through innovation.

Speakers and participants highlighted the urgent need for accelerated investment and streamlined permits to realise the true potential of pumped storage hydropower. Experts emphasised the critical role of PSH in energy flexibility and addressed the need to balance this with environmental sustainability. Site-specific solutions and continuous monitoring were identified as key to protecting ecosystems, as each water body requires a tailored approach—from fish migration to habitat restoration.

Whereas the impact of climate change on hydropower is uneven across Europe, with some countries set to lose up to 30% of their hydropower generation, while others could increase their generation thanks to rising inflows, experts are confident that hydropower is part of the solution. Although the construction of hydropower plants results in greenhouse gas emissions, hydropower provides low-carbon energy and contributes to flood control and drought mitigation.

One of the key messages was that flexibility is crucial to the present and future of power systems, as a fully carbon neutral system will rely heavily on short- and long-term flexibility to complement the variability of power generation and demand and to manage the increasing complexity of the system.

The STOR-HY consortium would like to thank ETIP HYDROPOWER for organising such an impactful event and looks forward to continued collaboration across the European research, policy and industry communities.

About the project

STOR-HY is a four-year EU-funded Horizon Europe project involving 18 partners from eight countries. It aims to reduce the operating costs and environmental footprint of pumped storage plants (PSPs) by developing next-generation equipment and digital tools adapted to a wide range of conditions, including harsh fluids and unconventional schemes.

It addresses these challenges by improving the lifetime and recyclability of pumped storage plant components and by developing operating strategies for unconventional schemes through sensor-based condition monitoring systems to detect early failure mechanisms, postpone unnecessary maintenance actions, and avoid unplanned outages. Through digital operational management tools, STOR-HY will improve the efficiency, reliability, and availability of PSPs, taking into account energy and market dynamics and variable generation, thus improving the flexibility and resilience of the EU energy grid, while mitigating the effects of climate change.

Launch of the STOR-HY project

Posted on 26/02/202503/02/2026 by storhyeu4dmIn

STOR-HY will improve the lifetime and recyclability of components and develop operational strategies for unconventional schemes.

Funded by the HORIZON programme under Grant Agreement No. 101172905, STOR-HY will run for 48 months from 1 October 2024. The project has received 7.9M€ in funding and involves 18 partners from 8 countries, coordinated by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC).

Brussels, November 2024 — On the 15-16 of October 2024, STOR-HY was officially launched in Brussels, Belgium, to reduce the capital and operating expenditures of innovative pumped storage projects by increasing the lifetime and recyclability of pumped storage plant (PSP) components. It also aims to increase the operational capacity of PSPs by adapting them to unconventional storage schemes and harsh fluids in order to increase their geographical availability.

About the project

Pumped storage hydropower (PSH) is one of the most efficient and flexible large-scale energy storage options available today, with up to 80% full-cycle energy recovery and the ability to balance the grid and expand utilities’ renewable energy portfolios. PSH accounts for around 96% of global utility-scale energy storage. The storage capacity of European hydropower reservoirs exceeds 185 TWh, making them the largest “batteries” available to store energy from other renewables. Europe’s PSH represents 20% of the world’s hydropower capacity.

As a source of bulk power positions, hydropower is a key contributor to grid stability. However, the surge in unpredictable renewable energy sources requires increased regulation to balance intermittent generation, including energy shifting through storage. This intensified demand places a strain on the mechanical components used to regulate power, as they must withstand an increased number of start-stop cycles, ramping duties, and rapid transitions from energy generation to storage.

This can result in increased operating costs, accelerated deterioration, and unexpected damage to critical PSP equipment. To mitigate these issues, there is a crucial need for accurate degradation models and advanced control methods that not only maintain the mechanical integrity of aging hydropower infrastructure, but also actively reduce wear and tear on sensitive components.

STOR-HY seeks to address these challenges by improving the lifetime and recyclability of components and equipment and by defining operating strategies for unconventional schemes through sensor-based, wear and tear monitoring systems to detect early failure mechanisms, postpone unnecessary maintenance actions, avoid unplanned outages, and limit planned outages. Using digital tools for strategic and operational management, it intends to improve the efficiency, reliability, and availability of PSPs, taking into account energy and market demand and dynamics, variable renewable generation, and integration, while mitigating the effects of climate change and improving the flexibility and resilience of the EU energy grid.

STOR-HY also focuses on building regional links with local stakeholders, industry, academia, and policy institutions. Sustainability considerations include economic, environmental, circular economy, and social aspects, drawing on lessons learned from previous projects, including include local impacts, societal acceptance, ecological concerns, and life cycle costs.

To achieve these ambitious goals over the next four years, UPC will work with an international consortium of academic institutions, research centres, and companies from 8 countries: Spain [Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Sener Mobility, Hulleras del Norte (HUNOSA), Fundación Asturiana de Diversificación Minera (FAEN)], France [GE Vernova, Électricité de France (EDF), KAIZEN Solutions, Institut polytechnique de Grenoble (INPG)], Portugal [EDP Produção (EDPP), EDP Centre for New Energy Technologies (EDPN), Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores, Tecnologia e Ciência (INESCTEC)], Switzerland [GE Vernova, Haute école specialisée de Suisse occidentale (HES-SO), ANDRITZ], Germany (vgbe), the Netherlands (Universiteit Twente), Norway [Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE)], and Belgium (Zabala Innovation).