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INESC TEC starts project on renewable energies

In September, INESC TEC’s Power Systems Unit (USE) kicked off the European project HYPERBOLE (HYdropower plants PERformance and flexiBle Operation towards Lean integration of new renewable Energies), a project on renewable energies focusing specifically on hydraulic power.

24th September 2013

The project is based on pumping hydro power plants and the goal is to study the hydraulics, electrical and mechanical dynamics of hydro machines, and to explore their operation at variable speeds. The benefits provided by these flexible units will be demonstrated by studying the operation conditions in a power system with a high level of variable generation sources.

The HYPERBOLE is in line with the goals of the European Union (EU) for energy policy. The EU is promoting a massive integration of renewable energies and the implementation of initiatives and technologies related to energy efficiency. In this context, hydro power plants have been playing an increasingly important role, providing a highly flexible storage element and contributing to the generation of renewable energy. These power plants also make it possible to compensate for the variability in solar and wind generation, thus contributing to the safety of the power system’s operation.

The consortium of the three-year project includes 11 partners, comprising the three main hydraulic turbine manufacturers in the world (ALSTOM HYDRO, ANDRIDZ HYDRO and VOITH HYDRO), as well as renowned academic institutions from six countries. The members of the INESC TEC team are Bernardo Silva, Carlos Moreira, João Peças Lopes and Ricardo Bessa.

The INESC TEC researchers mentioned in this article are associated with the following partner institutions: INESC Porto and FEUP.

INESC TEC, October 2013