{"id":2101,"date":"2026-07-06T16:13:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T16:13:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/?p=2101"},"modified":"2026-07-06T16:13:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T16:13:15","slug":"rehydro-hydroelectricity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/rehydro-hydroelectricite-sion\/","title":{"rendered":"The ReHydro Project: Modernising European hydropower from Sion"},"content":{"rendered":"

From 15 to 18 June 2026, Sion became the hub for the future of hydropower. The Hydro Alps Lab and the Haute \u00c9cole d\u2019Ing\u00e9nierie co-organised the 4th meeting of the European ReHydro consortium. The aim of these four days, spent between the Aula in Sion and the peaks of the Gougra, was to transform existing infrastructure into truly ultra-flexible and environmentally responsible pillars of the energy transition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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70 experts, 6 challenges, 1 industrial ambition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Co-ordinated by SINTEF<\/a> and driven by the industry\u2019s giants (EDF<\/a>, Andritz<\/a>, CNR<\/a>, EDP<\/a>, Lysis<\/a> as well as several of our partners<\/a> (as is usually the case), the ReHydro project does not merely theorise: it takes action. In front of nearly 70 researchers and industry leaders, the working groups tackled the realities of the energy market head-on. This meeting also marked an important milestone with the official conclusion of Work Package 3 (\u00abFit for Market\u00bb), validating the project\u2019s business models. The discussions highlighted three main areas of focus:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maximum flexibility & hybridisation<\/strong> : How can pumped-storage hydroelectricity be combined with battery storage to respond instantly to market fluctuations?
Digital revolution<\/strong> : real-time monitoring of turbines and the creation of virtual power plants (VPPs) to enable predictive control and a drastic reduction in erosion.
Eco-engineering<\/strong> : advanced sediment modelling, precise management of hydropeaking (run-of-river operations) and bypass solutions for fish migration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hydro Alps Lab takes centre stage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The plenary session on 16 June highlighted the local roots of these global innovations. Consortium members were able to immerse themselves in the heart of the Hydro Alps Lab during a guided tour, gaining a first-hand insight into our test benches and the applied research projects being carried out in Valais. This synergy between science and industry was praised by Mathias G\u00e4umann, CEO of Hydro Exploitation, and Jonathan Fauriel (ALPIQ), who came to share their vision of academic collaborations for the retrofitting of tomorrow\u2019s power stations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the laboratory to the concrete giants: An immersion at La Gougra<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Members<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Because the energy transition is won on the ground, the consortium left the Energypolis campus for a major technical immersion at the Forces Motrices de la Gougra (FMG) facilities, where a project to raise the height of the structures is planned. From the inner workings of the Mottec and Vissoie power stations to the Moiry dam, participants were able to compare mathematical and economic models with the topographical, landscape and climatic realities of the Alps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A key milestone for applied research and the future of the sector<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This fourth meeting of the ReHydro consortium demonstrates that the modernisation of existing infrastructure requires a holistic approach. Discussions held in Sion confirm that energy engineering is no longer simply about generating kilowatt-hours, but about orchestrating a complex ecosystem in which industrial performance, grid flexibility, Big Data and environmental sustainability coexist. The results achieved in the various work packages pave the way for large-scale deployment phases at the various European demonstration sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To follow developments at the pilot sites and find out more about the scientific progress being made, visit the project\u2019s official website: www.rehydro.eu<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Du 15 au 18 juin 2026, Sion est devenue la plaque tournante de l’hydro\u00e9lectricit\u00e9 de demain. L\u2019Hydro Alps Lab et la Haute \u00c9cole d\u2019Ing\u00e9nierie ont co-organis\u00e9 la 4e r\u00e9union du consortium europ\u00e9en ReHydro. Objectif de ces 4 jours entre l’Aula de Sion et les sommets de la Gougra : transformer les infrastructures existantes en v\u00e9ritables […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":2107,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[67,75,66,68],"class_list":["post-2101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-actualite","tag-hydroelectricite","tag-innovation-technologique","tag-rehydro","tag-transition-energetique"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2101","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\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2101"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2101\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2113,"href":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2101\/revisions\/2113"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hydroalpslab.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}