HYDRO2026: Adapting to change, embracing opportunities

ETIP HYDROPOWER will contribute to HYDRO 2026, taking place from 14 to 16 October 2026 in Bologna, Italy, with a dedicated session highlighting European initiatives supporting the development and modernisation of hydropower.

Session 34: “EU initiatives supporting hydropower” will take place on the afternoon of Friday, 16 October, bringing together eight contributions from European institutions, research organisations, industry and EU-funded initiatives.

The session will provide a broad overview of current European activities supporting hydropower, addressing topics ranging from EU water-storage policy and hydropower sustainability to pumped storage, hydropower planning and the refurbishment of Europe’s existing fleet.

The programme includes the following contributions:

• Water storage provided by dams: Policy context, controversies and opportunities in the European Union – European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC)
• Best practice for hydropower sustainability – including contributions from ETIP HYDROPOWER
• Assessing the potential of pumped-storage schemes in saltwater environments using the sea as the lower reservoir in European territories
• From hydraulic design to implementation: Development of the At-Bashy shaft hydropower plant
• HydroPlan-CA: A GIS-based decision support system for hydropower planning in Central Asia
• The SHERPA project: Technical progress on advanced refurbishment solutions for flexible and sustainable hydropower operation
• Demonstration of sustainable hydropower refurbishment: Updates from the ReHydro project
• ReHydro modernisation survey: Empirical insights into European hydropower refurbishment practice

The strong response to the session demonstrates the breadth of research and innovation currently underway around hydropower and provides an opportunity to connect European policy priorities with concrete technological developments, demonstration activities and industry experience.

ETIP HYDROPOWER is pleased to see the session bring together eight papers and looks forward to contributing to the discussions in Bologna and showcasing the work being carried out across the European hydropower community.