XFLEX HYDRO · Project

Making Hydropower Plants Faster and Smarter to Balance the Grid

energyPilotedTRL 7

Imagine the power grid is like a bathtub — solar and wind keep turning the tap on and off unpredictably, and someone needs to constantly adjust the drain so it doesn't overflow or run dry. Hydropower plants are perfect for this balancing act because they can ramp up and down quickly, but most existing plants weren't designed to be that agile. XFLEX HYDRO upgraded real hydropower stations across Europe with variable-speed turbines, smart digital controls, and better maintenance planning so they can react faster, run longer between shutdowns, and offer more grid-balancing services. They proved it works at 5 real power plants in Switzerland, France, Portugal, and Spain.

By the numbers

Real demonstrators in operation at hydropower plants

Consortium partners across the project

Countries represented in the consortium

Industry partners in the consortium

Total project deliverables produced

55%

Industry ratio in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Europe's power grid is rapidly losing its conventional balancing capacity as coal and gas plants shut down, while unpredictable solar and wind generation keeps growing. Existing hydropower plants — the best natural grid balancers — are underperforming because their turbines, controls, and maintenance schedules were designed decades ago for a different energy system. Plant operators are leaving money on the table by not offering the full range of flexibility services that grid operators are increasingly willing to pay for.

The solution

What was built

The project built and operated 5 full-scale demonstrators at real hydropower plants: Alto Lindoso (Portugal), Grand Maison (France), Alqueva (Portugal), Z'Mutt (Switzerland), plus a Smart Power Plant Supervisor with integrated battery control. These cover run-of-river, storage, and pumped storage configurations with variable-speed technology, digital supervision tools, and optimized maintenance planning — all validated in real operating conditions across 32 deliverables.

Audience

Who needs this

Hydropower plant operators looking to increase revenue from flexibility servicesTransmission system operators needing more grid-balancing capacity from existing assetsTurbine and equipment manufacturers seeking proven retrofit solutionsEnergy utilities planning to upgrade aging hydropower fleets instead of building new capacityPumped storage operators wanting faster mode transitions and higher efficiency

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Hydropower generation

enterprise

Target: Hydropower plant operators and utilities with existing fleets

If you are a hydropower utility struggling to squeeze more flexibility and revenue from aging plants — this project demonstrated variable-speed technology and smart plant supervisors at 5 real sites (Alto Lindoso, Grand Maison, Alqueva, Z'Mutt, and a battery-integrated plant) that increase plant availability, cut outage time through optimized maintenance, and unlock new grid-balancing revenue streams without building new capacity.

Grid operations and transmission

enterprise

Target: Transmission system operators and grid balancing authorities

If you are a grid operator facing instability from massive renewable integration and losing conventional balancing units — this project proved that upgraded hydropower plants can deliver fast frequency control, inertia emulation, and rapid generating-to-pumping transitions. The solutions were tested across run-of-river, storage, and pumped storage configurations with a consortium of 20 partners across 7 countries.

Industrial equipment and turbine manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Turbine manufacturers and hydroelectric equipment suppliers

If you are a turbine or equipment manufacturer looking for the next generation of retrofit solutions — this project developed and demonstrated variable-speed hydroelectric machinery upgrades that can be applied to existing plants of any unit size. With 11 industry partners in the consortium and 32 deliverables covering refurbished, uprated, and existing plants, this is a ready-made technology roadmap for your product line.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does it cost to implement these upgrades at an existing hydropower plant?

The project data does not include specific upgrade costs per plant. However, since 5 demonstrators were deployed at real operational sites covering different plant types (run-of-river, storage, pumped storage), the consortium likely has detailed cost-benefit data. Contact the coordinator through SciTransfer for pricing benchmarks.

Can this scale to any size of hydropower plant?

Yes — the project explicitly states solutions are designed to be applied and scaled to any unit size. Demonstrations covered refurbished, uprated, and existing plants across multiple configurations. The project drew a roadmap for exploitation across the entire European hydropower fleet.

Who owns the IP and how can I license these technologies?

With 20 partners including 11 industry players and 2 SMEs, IP ownership is likely distributed across the consortium. The project is an Innovation Action (IA), meaning results are designed for market uptake. Contact SciTransfer for guidance on licensing specific technologies from the right consortium partner.

How does this help with grid regulation compliance?

The upgrades enable enhanced flexibility services including fast frequency control, fast start/stop, rapid mode transitions between generating and pumping, high ramping rates, inertia emulation, and fault ride-through capacity. These directly address TSO requirements for grid balancing as conventional generators are disconnected.

How long does implementation take?

The project ran from September 2019 to February 2024, with 5 demonstrators reaching operational status. Based on available project data, the deployment timeline for individual plant upgrades would depend on plant type and scope of retrofit. The consortium has real-world implementation experience to provide realistic timelines.

Does this integrate with existing plant control systems?

Yes — one deliverable specifically covers a Smart Power Plant Supervisor with integrated battery control, indicating the solutions are designed to layer onto existing infrastructure. The project covered digitalisation as a core component, suggesting compatibility with modern SCADA and plant management systems.

What ongoing support is available after installation?

The project developed optimized maintenance plans specifically designed to decrease outage time and increase plant availability. With 11 industry partners including major equipment manufacturers across 7 countries, commercial support channels likely exist. SciTransfer can connect you with the right partner.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a strong, industry-heavy consortium with 20 partners from 7 countries (Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, UK). The 55% industry ratio — 11 industry partners out of 20 — signals that this project was built for real-world deployment, not just academic research. It is coordinated by EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne), one of Europe's top engineering universities. The mix of 5 universities and 3 research organizations provides the scientific backbone, while the 11 industry players and 2 SMEs bring manufacturing capability and market access. The geographic spread across major European hydropower markets (Alps, Iberia, France) means the solutions have been validated in diverse conditions.

ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNECoordinator · CH
ALPIQ AGparticipant · CH
ZABALA INNOVATION CONSULTING SAparticipant · ES
ELECTRICITE DE FRANCEparticipant · FR
GE HYDRO FRANCEparticipant · FR
COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVESparticipant · FR
INESC TEC - INSTITUTO DE ENGENHARIADE SISTEMAS E COMPUTADORES, TECNOLOGIA E CIENCIAparticipant · PT
ASSOCIATION POUR LA RECHERCHE ET LE DEVELOPPEMENT DES METHODES ET PROCESSUS INDUSTRIELSparticipant · FR
UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE CATALUNYAparticipant · ES
CNET CENTRE FOR NEW ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES SAparticipant · PT
INTERNATIONAL HYDROPOWER ASSOCIATION LIMITEDparticipant · UK
SUPERGRID INSTITUTEparticipant · FR
VOITH HYDRO HOLDING GMBH & CO KGparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITY OF STUTTGARTparticipant · DE
HAUTE ECOLE SPECIALISEE DE SUISSE OCCIDENTALEparticipant · CH
ECOLE NATIONALE SUPERIEURE DES MINES DE PARISthirdparty · FR
EDP - GESTAO DA PRODUCAO DE ENERGIASAparticipant · PT
ANDRITZ HYDRO GMBHparticipant · AT
ANDRITZ HYDRO AGparticipant · CH

How to reach the team

Coordinated by ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE (Switzerland). Contact SciTransfer for a direct introduction to the project team.

Order a report on this consortium See ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how XFLEX HYDRO's proven flexibility upgrades could work for your hydropower fleet? SciTransfer can arrange a technical briefing with the right consortium partner for your specific plant configuration.

Order a report on this topic More in Energy & Climate