RSE takes part in Aquawatt, the forum dedicated to hydropower and the renewable energy sector, scheduled for October 29-30 at the Piacenza Expo exhibition area.

On October 29 at 2;30 pm, Michele Benini, Director of the Department of Energy Systems Development, will participate in the workshop ‘The role of hydropower in the energy transition process,’ chaired by Antonella Frigerio, Deputy Director of the Department of Sustainable Development and Energy Sources at RSE. The workshop is promoted by ITCOLD and ETIP Hydropower in collaboration with RSE.

The enhancement of the role of the hydropower sector in the energy transition process, thanks to the advantages offered by new technologies aimed at improving generation flexibility and storage capacity (such as plant digitalization, variable-speed turbines, and hybridization solutions), is necessary to provide the balancing services increasingly required by the power grid to accommodate renewable energy sources with intermittent generation.

The workshop aims to provide insights into the benefits of using new flexibility technologies and pumped hydropower plants to achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal, aimed at reaching climate neutrality in Europe by 2050 through the creation of a low-carbon, sustainable, and resilient energy system. It will also discuss the benefits of other technological solutions, such as the installation of floating photovoltaic systems on artificial reservoirs or the raising of existing dams to increase the storage capacity of water resources.

The meeting will provide a specific framework dedicated to the role of hydropower in the energy transition, with the goal of identifying potential synergies for sector development.

On October 30 at 9:30 am, Antonella Frigerio will speak at the workshop ‘Dams and reservoirs: climate change adaptation and public awareness strategies,’ promoted by ITCOLD and ETIP Hydropower in collaboration with RSE.

The European Union has committed to making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. This transition to a greener future puts hydropower at the forefront of two specific issues. On one hand, it can help meet the growing demand for grid flexibility and balancing services to enable greater integration of variable renewable sources. On the other hand, due to its storage capacity, hydropower can provide climate change mitigation and adaptation services, especially in the case of prolonged droughts or flooding caused by heavy rainfall. These socio-economic benefits are valuable but difficult to quantify, even though they prevent costly damage to agriculture and society every year.

Climate change threatens to exacerbate water stress and water scarcity worldwide, creating strong economic interests around this common resource, already referred to as “blue gold.” Therefore, hydropower must play a proactive role in the responsible and sustainable management of water. However, there is still the need to raise public awareness of the effectiveness of dams and reservoirs in ensuring water, energy, and food security, contributing to flood control, fire prevention, and creating tourism opportunities through the organization of sports competitions and recreational activities for families.

This workshop will discuss how climate change adaptation requires ever-better governance of water resources and how increasing public awareness of the role of dams and artificial reservoirs in our society is essential to manage often competing interests and ensure the water-energy-food nexus.

On the same day, October 30, Michele de Nigris, Director of the Department of Sustainable Development and Energy Sources at RSE, will present, along with Antonella Frigerio, the new RSEView monograph ‘The role of hydropower in the energy transition process. The study, which aims to provide a comprehensive and exhaustive overview of the hydropower sector, will be presented by a large RSE delegation: Julio Alterach, Alessandro Amaranto, Cinzia Bonaldo, Silvia Canevese, Giorgia Faggiani , Antonio Gatti and Francesco Gulotta.

All the details regarding the presentation of the new monograph are available here.

At the exhibition area, there is also a stand where Federica Davò and Alessandro Zani will present and share information about RSE products.

To access Piacenza Expo and participate in the workshops, click here.