Unlock the full flexibility of your hydraulic assets

A comprehensive panel of technologies & studies for hydropower plants

Improving the flexibility of power grids thanks to hydropower

Hydropower is already one of the most flexible renewable energy resources, but evolving grid requirements call for even greater responsiveness.
By enhancing existing hydropower assets with advanced technologies, operators can unlock additional flexibility and better support grid stability. In particular, these upgrades enable faster and more reliable frequency response capabilities, allowing hydropower plants to meet the growing demands of modern power systems.

As an independent company, SuperGrid Institute provides studies, test platforms and innovative technologies related to hydroelectric performance, storage and flexibility systems.

Increasing power generation flexibility

We help our clients anticipate the future flexibility requirements of power grids and increase their revenues by accessing new emerging markets of ancillary services.

Anticipate the early ageing of your equipment

Optimise water management

Boost revenues: access new energy markets

We support utilities, manufacturers, EPC and developers in the optimisation of their hydraulic assets, be they associated with renewables or not.

hydrophil-replicate-hydroelectric-unit

Innovative hybridisation technologies

We have developed innovative hybridisation technologies
to add value to your hydroelectric assets.

Hydropower and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)

Combining hydropower plants with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) enhances operational flexibility and supports the integration of renewable energy sources.

Through advanced control strategies and Energy Management Systems (EMS), hybrid hydro-BESS solutions can improve grid support capabilities, facilitate ancillary services provision and create additional value for asset owners.

SuperGrid Institute provides studies, design and validation services to support the deployment of efficient and reliable hybrid systems.

Hydro + BESS in a nutshell

A Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) or supercapacitor can be combined with a hydropower plant and coordinated through an advanced Energy Management System (EMS). The resulting hybrid system operates as a single flexible asset.

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) - Hydropower

Deploy the right control to manage hybrid power station

Electricity producers are paid for the power and services they can provide to supply electricity and support the electrical grid. However, the operating range of most hydropower plants includes dead bands where operation is not possible due to machine limitations or constraints between generating units.

SuperGrid Institute’s advanced control solution expands the usable operating range of hydraulic assets, helping operators unlock additional flexibility and value. Applicable to PSP, Francis and Kaplan turbines, this solution supports both new projects and refurbishment programmes.

From feasibility studies to validation on HydroPHIL® and implementation support, SuperGrid Institute accompanies customers throughout the deployment of the solution.

Bringing benefit to the grid both for isolated and interconnected grids

As power systems integrate increasing shares of renewable energy, hydropower assets must provide greater flexibility while maintaining efficient operation. Combining hydropower with energy storage solutions enables operators to better manage variability, support grid stability and unlock additional value from existing assets.

In isolated or islanded power systems, maintaining the balance between generation and demand can be particularly challenging when integrating renewable energy sources. Hybrid hydro-BESS solutions provide fast-response flexibility, improve power quality and help maximise the penetration of solar and wind generation while preserving hydraulic equipment. This hybridisation avoid using polluting power generation methods such as gas turbines or diesel generators.

Key applications in short

  • Renewable integration
  • Grid stability
  • Enhanced performance

For interconnected power systems, hybridisation enhances the ability of hydropower plants to deliver flexibility services such as frequency regulation and secondary reserve. By coordinating hydraulic assets and battery storage through advanced control systems, operators can improve their asset capacities to market participation and optimize revenues.

Key applications in short

  • Ancillary services
  • Secondary reserve
  • Revenue optimisation

Small-scale pumped-storage plants (mini-PSP) offer additional opportunities to support renewable integration and local or distributed grid flexibility. Combined with advanced control strategies and energy storage technologies, these assets can contribute to balancing intermittent generation while improving the overall economic performance of the project.

Key applications in short

  • Mini-Pumped Storage
  • Renewable integration
  • Local flexibility
  • Enhanced project economics

Our references

salto-grande-logo-hydrophil-supergrid

Study of hybridisation solutions

Study of hybridisation solution for the Salto Grande power plant using other means of storage to reduce wear and tear on the Kaplan groups.

The Meridiam Martinique case study: justifying PSP investment

Specification & profitability evaluation

Specification and profitability evaluation of a pump storage power plant for an islanded electric grid using our fast ramp-up technology.
SuperGrid Institute's references.

Techno-economic study of hybridising

Techno-economic study of hybridising a hydro turbine with a battery to allow a 0-100% variation of the power range.
xflex-hydro-reference-supergrid

Improving
hydropower flexibility

SuperGrid Institute played an important role in this action, by mobilising our HydroPHIL test platform to test a new hydro technology, deep partial load variable speed transitions, with the aim of extending the turbine’s operating range within conventional pumped storage power plants.

We assessed the feasibility and relevance of these new operating sequences, defined the test plan, and configured our platform according to the characteristics of the test site. This included taking into account the turbine itself and its connection with the power grid.

Our tests allowed us to validate the control algorithms of the tested turbine and suggest improvements to its supervision within this extended operating range.

This may interest you

Webinar IHA - Maximising potential with hydropower hybridisation

Why Choose Pumped Storage Hydropower for Isolated Networks?

White Paper: Hydropower's key role in flexibility & storage for a safe, clean & secure european power system

Camille Prud'Homme - Business Development Manager

Contact our expert

Camille Prud’Homme, Business Development Manager

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

The demand for flexibility is skyrocketing due to the rising share of variable renewables like wind and solar. In Europe, daily flexibility needs are expected to more than double by 2030 and grow 7-fold by 2050, reaching over 900 TWh/year and more than 2000 TWh/year across all timescales according to the White Paper “Hydropower’s key role in flexibility and storage for a safe, clean and secure European power system – today and tomorrow” of ETIP HYDROPOWER.

Hydropower is the only renewable energy source that can provide flexibility across all timeframes:

  • Short-term: seconds to hours

  • Mid-term: hours to days

  • Long-term: weeks to months

This makes it essential for balancing the grid at any moment.

Pumped storage hydropower is the largest source of electricity storage in Europe. It can store excess electricity and release it when needed, helping to stabilise the grid during both short peaks and long-term imbalances.

Very fast. Hydropower plants can ramp up or down in seconds, making them ideal for handling rapid fluctuations in demand or supply.

Yes. Many hydropower plants have black start capability, meaning they can restart the grid after a total blackout without needing power from the grid itself. This makes hydropower a key asset for energy system resilience.