In a viewpoint of a combined effort so as to underscore the vital role of hydropower when it comes to achieving the European Union’s- EUs climate neutrality goals, Eurelectric, in partnership with the EU Hydropower Alliance as well as vgbe energy e.V., has gone on to issue a compelling letter asking the legislators to have hydropower on the strategic net-zero technologies list under the Net-Zero Industry Act.
The letter, which is titled European Hydropower: A Strategic Net-Zero Technology, stresses the unique contributions of hydropower as well as its indispensability when it comes to achieving the EU’s sustainability goals. As the negotiations in terms of the Net-Zero Industry Act touch their final stages, proponents go on to debate that acknowledging hydropower as one of the strategic players is indeed a necessity for a sustainable as well as resilient EU power system.
It is well to be noted that hydropower, which stands as the second-largest renewable energy source across the EU, goes on to generate 355 TWh of electricity per year. The letter underscores the unparalleled flexibility of this source and how it happens to be playing a critical role in making sure of a secure as well as stable operation of the electricity grid. Significantly, the pumped storage hydropower, which comprises more than 90% of the available EU storage capacity, goes on to offer essential services when it comes to electricity storage, thereby taking excess generation and avoiding any curtailment.
As the EU looks to add up 621 GW of novel variable renewable electricity capacity in six years, the proponents go on to argue that hydropower’s flexibility as well as storage capabilities will go on to become growingly significant when it comes to meeting these targets, which in all ways look pretty ambitious.
The letter goes on to stress the requirement to secure Europe’s competitive advantage when it comes to clean technologies, thereby pointing out past mistakes within solar manufacturing that are now on a course correction. Europe, for that matter, has already solidified its standing as being a world leader when it comes to hydropower technology and goes on to possess a transparent as well as a sustainable value chain, decreasing dependence on crucial raw materials as well as fossil fuel imports. The continent happens to be strategically located so as to capitalize on opportunities that arise from investments when it comes to the modernization of existing as well as the development of new hydropower plants globally.
Stressing the significance of overall water management strategies in a climate change scenario, the letter highlights the adaptability of hydropower plants, which can go on to regulate flood events, release water at the time of droughts to safeguard ecosystems in a strategic way, and also facilitate navigation. Moreover, hydropower goes on to play a very important role when it comes to ensuring a water supply that is reliable for numerous applications such as drinking, industrial processes, irrigation, and firefighting.
The authors of the letter have gone on to urge the Members of the European Parliament as well as the Permanent Representatives of EU Member States to acknowledge the undeniable significance of hydropower and also include it in the list comprising of strategic net-zero technologies. They go on to argue that the Net-Zero Industry Act is going to elevate the competitiveness along with resilience of the industrial base of net-zero technologies, thereby forming the backbone of a clean power system in the EU that happens to be affordable, trustworthy, and sustainable.
