Thursday 13 October 2022

Hydropower can be an energy gamechanger!

Hydropower can be an energy gamechanger!

Can a much-needed, sustainable and cheap solution to current energy challenges come from dams and water reservoirs?

As part of future Net Zero's feature week: The Energy Markets, we invited Pascal Radue, Chief Executive Officer of Hydro Solutions for GE Renewable Energy, to talk about the ways countries can build resilient energy systems using the "enormous" untapped potential of hydro.

Mr Radue said: "Today, hydropower produces around 16% of total electricity generation from all sources globally. So, it is already providing a large number of solutions to the global crisis. The role that hydro can play is twofold.

"First, it can help decarbonise the power production rapidly and secondly, can be a giant battery where we can soak the power that comes from wind or solar or other forms of generation."

Asked whether the recent heatwaves that hit European countries exposed the vulnerability of hydro and energy markets, Mr Radue replied: "People sometimes forget that hydro installations are often used for water management.

"I was recently in Spain, in Madrid, and there you could see that water management was done so well. Also, thanks to the water plants there, there weren't any water shortages in the city itself in the summer, which is quite a powerful statement."

Click the podcast above to listen to the full interview.

Written by

Bruna Pinhoni

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