As winter approaches, hydropower operators must contend with an underestimated obstacle that poses a major threat to energy production. Severe wintry weather adds to an already overwhelming burden. Managing snow and ice becomes more important as it directly affects the reliability of hydropower. Now operators are raising the bar even higher by utilizing impressive new tools and strategies. To better prepare for the winter months ahead, they’re moving from a reactive to proactive management approach.
Generally, hydropower facilities are built for extreme winter scenarios. Though this was once a reliable condition, changing precipitation patterns, mid-winter thaws, and quicker snowmelt have rendered these conditions more unpredictable. The consequence is an increasing operational headache that creates new hurdles for operators to overcome while still having to drive productivity.
The Role of Snow in Hydropower Operations
Snow is an essential part governing the operation of hydropower systems in many areas. During winter, a significant portion of the precipitation arranges as snow and ice. This alteration dramatically reduces the amount of water reaching rivers and streams. This dual-harvest reality places an unprecedented challenge on hydropower operators that depend on predictable water levels to sustain energy production.
“Snow is where the water, and therefore the energy, is stored. Being able to calculate how much water is held in the snowpack is like knowing how much energy is still available up in the mountains.” – Sina Starmans
With changing climate patterns, the capacity for real-time snowpack monitoring and prediction is even more essential to managing these reservoirs efficiently. Operators today leverage sophisticated forecasting technologies that help them better measure and interpret where we are in the hydrologic cycle at a basin-level. By monitoring factors like snowpack and surface runoff, they’re able to predict changes in water supply more accurately.
“Our system allows us to track the water cycle at the basin level… including snow in the mountains, surface runoff on watercourses and deep infiltration into the aquifer.” – Matteo Dall’Amico
This clarity helps to balance competing priorities, optimise and scale energy trading quickly and efficiently. Finally, they improve reservoir management efficiencies, allowing operators to work proactively, anticipating changes in inflow conditions.
Managing Ice: A Primary Pain Point
In the winter months, ice represents one of the biggest challenges to hydropower operations. Ice development poses a number of complicating factors. For instance, ice dams can block the proper flow of water and cause water to be impounded. This is not only a dangerous disruption to energy production but an increasing threat to critical infrastructure.
“Similar processes contribute to the formation of ice dams in river channels or in water diverted to open waterways that may be empty under normal operating conditions. These ice dams can cause water to impound and back up and be potentially diverted out of the main river course.” – Dr Óli Sveinsson
To mitigate these effects, hydropower operators have increasingly relied on specialized ice-management equipment. For example, icebreaking is a centuries-old practice in Canada’s hydropower operations. The Niagara Queen II, an 85-tonne icebreaker, logs between 300 and 400 hours of service each winter, showcasing the lengths operators go to maintain productivity.
Predictable gate operations are crucial for power plants heading into winter. It is very common for operators to add heaters for gate, seal, and frame. This keeps them running smoothly, even during extreme frost levels.
“Reliable and uninterrupted gate operations are critical to the operation of power plants. For this reason, equipment is often installed to heat the gates, seals and frames to ensure they remain ready for use and can be operated even during severe frost conditions.” – Dr Óli Sveinsson
Proactive Management and Climate Resilience
With climate change impacting global weather trends and making extreme or inconsistent weather the new normal, hydropower operators are taking a move toward more proactive management. With warming winters compounding existing challenges, there is an urgent need to incorporate industry best practices that reduce vulnerability and enhance climate resilience.
“What is most important is to incorporate industry good practices to reduce vulnerability to climate change and make hydropower facilities more climate resilient.” – Dr Óli Sveinsson
Operators use satellite-based monitoring tools and new advanced forecasting techniques. This allows them to keep track of increasing shifts in weather patterns and adjust their strategy proactively. With greater accuracy of forecasting, they are able to fine-tune how much energy to create while balancing the levels of reservoirs.
“The forecasts are generally twice as accurate with respect to climatology, and hydropower operators can use the predictions to optimise energy trading and reservoir management.” – Matteo Dall’Amico
With the power of data-driven insights at their fingertips, operators can tackle the complexities of winter operations and improve efficiency and effectiveness.
“The more information operators have, the better they can manage their reservoirs,” – Sina Starmans