1. Hydropower in Europe Strategic coordination group
Brussels, 18 February 2005
Dr. Otto Pirker
WG Hydro
EURELECTRIC

2. Hydroelectricity capacity and production in Europe
Hydropower plays an important role for Europe
Max. net. generating capacity by hydropower in EU-25 year 2002: MW (19 %)
Electricity production by hydropower in EU-25 year 2002: 322,7 TWh (11 %)
Source: Statistics and prospects for the European electricity sector, Eurprog 2004

3. Energy situation and renewables in Europe
The basic energy situation will not enable the Union to achieve a satisfactory level of energy independence
Promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources (RES) in the internal electricity market (directive 2001/77/EC)
Increase electricity production from RES from 14 % to 22 % (2010)

4. Benefits of hydropower
Hydropower as a renewable energy reduces overall CO2 emissions
Hydropower helps to secure electricity supply in Europe
Hydropower is important for its capacity of timing of generation and for its support for intermittent sources
Reservoirs & dams have multi-purpose functions, e.g.:
Energy storage
Flood protection
Positive effects for navigation (reduction of road transport)
Recreational use and tourism
Employment
Irrigation  

5. Important role of hydropower for the grid
Hydropower and ancillary services which are required for the security and stability of the transmission system and maintaining the quality of electricity:
Frequency control
Voltage control
Operating reserve
Brauner / TU - Wien

6. Multipurpose function of hydropower plants

7. Multipurpose function of hydropower plants

8. Multipurpose function of hydropower plants

9. Multipurpose function of hydropower plants

10. Reducing environmental impacts
EURELECTRIC recognises the environmental implications of hydropower. The electricity industry has reduced them by e.g.:
Integrate constructions into natural environment
Engineered river banks to restore or create new habitats
Migration paths for fish
Ensuring breeding of fish species

11. What do we want?
EURELECTRIC wants to make sure that the benefits of hydropower are taken into account with:
a general acceptance of the environmental objective of HMWB (good potential) in the impacted zone, when the good ecological status is not reachable at a reasonable cost for the society and the global environment  
general acceptance that the good ecological potential can differ from the good ecological status both on biology and physico-chemistry objectives

12. What do we want?
EURELECTRIC wants to make sure that the benefits of hydropower are taken into account with:
scientifically and technically founded proposals of measures in RBMP and PoM to improve the local environment, and not standardised ones, which cannot take into to account the diversity of situations and would impair the cost effectiveness objective required by the directive
Also, EURELECTRIC highlights the need to ensure consistency of policies, e.g. between the Renewables directive, climate change policies and the WFD

13. Thank you for your attention!
Dr. Otto Pirker, WG Hydro, EURELECTRIC Ms. Anna Törner, Environmental adviser, EURELECTRIC