– ETH Zurich researchers, led by Robert Boes, are developing solutions to optimize electricity production from Swiss hydropower plants to ensure it remains the backbone of Switzerland’s electricity supply in the future.
– Specific solutions include better water management for run-of-river power plants, protecting turbines from sediment with improved sand traps, and using bypass tunnels lined with high-strength granite to reduce sedimentation in reservoirs.
– Researchers have also analyzed the potential for expanding Swiss hydropower, identifying suitable sites for new reservoirs and potential dam raisings in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Office of Energy and other stakeholders.
Researchers at ETH Zurich, led by Robert Boes, are working on specific solutions to optimize electricity production from Swiss hydropower plants to ensure that hydropower remains the backbone of Switzerland’s electricity supply in the future. The team has been focusing on developing efficient water management, calculating maintenance strategies for turbines, and identifying locations with the potential for effective and eco-friendly use of hydropower.
One key area of focus is on run-of-river power plants along the River Limmat, where optimizing weir regulation at Zurich’s Platzspitz could increase electricity generation by around 2%. The researchers have also been investigating ways to protect turbines against sedimentation by improving sand traps and utilizing boulder bypass systems for reservoirs to reduce erosion and sediment entry.
In addition to addressing current challenges in existing hydropower plants, the research team has been studying the potential for expanding Swiss hydropower by identifying suitable sites for new reservoirs and exploring opportunities to raise existing dams for increased storage volume. These efforts have led to collaboration between various stakeholders to agree on hydropower plant expansion and construction projects, which are now part of a new Electricity Supply Act pending a vote by the Swiss electorate in June.