LTU and Energiforsk collaborate on sustainable hydropower

It will be the Swedish Energy Agency's largest competence center with a budget of SEK 280 million over five years.

Together with industry, the public sector and six other universities, Luleå University of Technology will conduct research for sustainable, safe and optimized hydropower. The focus of the research is to contribute to a sustainable energy system and to improve the conditions for biodiversity in regulated rivers.

“Hydropower will play an increasingly important role as an energy resource providing regulation and storage in the fossil-free society of the future. We want to conduct research into safer, more efficient, more flexible and more eco-friendly hydropower. Technological development must take place while also protecting biodiversity. The centre provides an opportunity for technology researchers and biologists to collaborate in a completely new way,” Staffan Lundström says, Professor of Fluid Mechanics at Luleå University of Technology and director of the centre.

The idea is that the center will also contribute to the supply of skills.

“This centre will not only help to provide know-how for sustainable hydropower, it will also help to ensure a sustainable supply of skills in the field. The centre will be taking on around 30 doctoral students and postdocs for projects within and between our three work packages; Environment & Society, Hydraulic Engineering and Water Turbines and Generators," says Carolina Holmberg, deputy programme coordinator for the centre at Energiforsk.

The Swedish Center for Sustainable Hydropower is led by Luleå University of Technology in collaboration with Energiforsk.

The center has over 30 active parties in its organization: KTH, Uppsala University , Karlstad University, Umeå University, Lund University, Chalmers, Vattenfall Vattenkraft AB (incl VIAB), Fortum Sverige AB, Sydkraft Hydropower AB, Statkraft Sverige AB, Skellefteå Kraft AB, Holmen Energi AB, Jämtkraft AB, Umeå Municipality, Tekniska verken i Linköping AB, Mälarenergi, Karlstad Energi, Jönköping Energi AB, Sweco Sverige AB, AFRY, WSP Sverige AB, Norconsult AB, Vattenkraftens miljöfond, Boliden Mining AB, LKAB, Zinkgruvan Mining AB, Andritz Hydro Sverige filial, Voith Hydro AB, Rainpower Kristinehamn AB, Svenska kraftnät, Havs- och vattenmyndigheten and Energimyndigheten.

Lennart Håkansson

editor@northswedenbusiness.com