{"id":2088,"date":"2026-06-11T06:12:47","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T06:12:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/?p=2088"},"modified":"2026-06-11T06:21:43","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T06:21:43","slug":"improving-the-flexibility-of-alpine-power-stations-results-of-the-smallflex-goms-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/ameliorer-la-flexibilite-des-centrales-alpines-resultats-du-projet-smallflex-goms\/","title":{"rendered":"Improving the flexibility of Alpine power stations: results of the SmallFlex Goms project"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hidden storage within existing structures<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Switzerland, Small-scale hydropower generates around 3.4 TWh per year, with an estimated additional potential of 770 GWh<\/a>. However, these facilities play only a minor role in regulating the grid. The project explores an innovative approach: utilising \u00abhidden\u00bb hydraulic volumes (the upper sections of penstocks and pressurisation chambers) to absorb short-term power peaks. No extra concrete: just a smarter use of what already exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A survey of power stations between the source of the Rh\u00f4ne and Brig identified two priority sites: M\u00f6rel (three 17 MW Francis turbines) and Merezenbach (one 1.9 MW Pelton turbine). For each site, 1D\/3D simulations modelled transient conditions and assessed the risk of air entrainment, a phenomenon that occurs during partial drainage of the pipeline and can cause severe mechanical damage. These models were validated by scale model tests at ETH Zurich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Successful on-site trials<\/strong> In March 2026, full-scale tests were conducted in M\u00f6rel by the Hydro Alps Lab using a multi-sensor data acquisition system and a Hydro-Clone digital twin to simulate the power station\u2019s behaviour in real time. Result: power fluctuations of 1 to 3 MW over 900 seconds were validated using a single turbine, in accordance with Swissgrid\u2019s primary control criteria (\u00b1200 mHz). FMV can now consider qualifying a unit for this service. At the Gletsch-Oberwald power station, which was studied during the previous SmallFlex project, the potential had been estimated at +130 kWh of winter production and +30,000 CHF\/year in additional revenue.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Forecasts and hybrid virtual power plant<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project has also developed a hydro-meteorological forecasting tool showing that water inflows can be predicted with 70% accuracy for D+1 planning, compared with around 50% for solar and less than 30% for wind power: a significant operational advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, a forward-looking section explores the creation of virtual power plants (VPPs) combining hydro, solar, wind and battery storage. Simulations show that such a VPP can increase its revenue by 2 to 6 % depending on market conditions and installed storage capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The methodologies developed in the Goms Valley can be applied to all Alpine valleys. The full scientific article is published at Bulletin.ch<\/a>. The SmallFlex Goms project is funded by the SFOE and coordinated by the Hydro Alps Lab at the HES-SO Valais<\/a>, in partnership with the WSL<\/a>, ETH Zurich<\/a>, the HEIG-VD<\/a>, HDE<\/a>, GMF<\/a> and Alpiq<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Article written by Benjamin Bouix<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Un stockage cach\u00e9 dans les ouvrages existants En Suisse, la petite hydraulique produit environ 3,4 TWh\/an avec un potentiel suppl\u00e9mentaire estim\u00e9 \u00e0 770 GWh. Ces installations participent pourtant peu au r\u00e9glage du r\u00e9seau. Le projet explore une piste originale : exploiter des volumes hydrauliques \u00ab cach\u00e9s \u00bb (partie sup\u00e9rieure des conduites forc\u00e9es, chambre de mise […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2090,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2088","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-actualite"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2088","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2088"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2088\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2092,"href":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2088\/revisions\/2092"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2088"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2088"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}