Project description
Big plans for Europe’s small-scale hydropower technology
Small-scale hydropower (SHP) has been used to generate electricity since the end of the 19th century. Usually installed in small rivers or streams, it is versatile, cost-efficient, and has minimal impact on wildlife and ecosystems. Despite considerable potential to satisfy unmet electricity demand, SHP is not extensively exploited in Central Asia. The EU-funded Hydro4U project will adapt European SHP technologies to meet Central Asia’s needs. Specifically, it will install and assess two demo plants with reduced planning and construction costs that do not compromise efficiency. The overall aim is to find innovative solutions that are fit-for-purpose and to demonstrate EU quality standards and create entry points in developing markets for the entire European SHP industry.
Objective
Despite considerable potential to satisfy unmet electricity demand and chart a new way forward in cooperative cross-sectoral management of shared waters, small scale hydropower (SHP) is not extensively exploited in Central Asia (CA). Likewise, vast potential to roll out European SHP approaches in other regions, European technologies have not been widely used due mostly to the lack of adaptation to such contexts; successful test cases are scant as their price point is typically far higher than Asian-manufactured competitors. The Hydro4U project will adapt European technologies to CA, demonstrating viability in a forward-looking cross-border Water/Food/Energy/Climate nexus (WP2) and price-competitiveness through design alterations (WP3) based on a prior analysis of unexploited SHP potential in CA (WP1). Hydro4U will install and assess (WP4) 2 demo plants: 500kW low-head eco-friendly run-of-river plant in KA, 2MW medium-head plant in UZ, both with radically reduced planning and construction costs that do not compromise efficiency. These solutions will be fit-for-purpose based on innovation, modularization, standardisation and radically simplified structural concepts, with longevity, eco-compatibility and socio-political acceptance (WP3). A replication model will be developed to address all SHP potential (WP5). This will demonstrate EU quality standards and create entry points in developing markets for the entire European SHP industry (WP6). Hydro4U brings together a multidisciplinary team (13 partners, 8 countries (DE, AT, CH, LK, ES, BE, CA: UZ, KG, [subsidiary in KZ]) world-renown experts in design of European SHP from industry (GHE, MUHR, HSOL, ILF) to science (TUM, BOKU, KSTU, EV-INBO, SJE, CARTIF), replication (SEZ, CARTIF), exploitation and D&C experts (SEZ), ‘boots-on-the-ground’ R4D institutes (IWMI, TIIAME) with a legacy of achieving practical impact in the water sector in CA, contributing experience from similar projects in CA and worldwide.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels renewable energy hydroelectricity
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.3.3. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Secure, clean and efficient energy
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.3.3.2. - Low-cost, low-carbon energy supply
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
IA - Innovation action
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-LC-SC3-2018-2019-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
80333 Muenchen
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.