Hydropower Archives - Page 4 of 4

Press Release – Daniele Novara from Easy Hydro among the three finalists of the EU Sustainable Energy Awards

Posted on September 22, 2021September 23, 2021 by Easy Hydro team

Daniele Novara, CEO of Easy Hydro, has been announced as a finalist in the upcoming EU Sustainable Energy Awards in relation to the first-ever hydropower station in a mine. The public vote on the online platform is open until the 22nd of October, and it is now possible to support Daniele by clicking on the link below:

Click here to vote for Daniele

A mere 40 kilometres north of Dublin, Ireland, a water turbine located deep in a zinc mine is producing 30 kW of clean energy thanks to a novel technology developed by Daniele Novara, 29, and his start-up Easy Hydro. Such innovative technology has stemmed from Daniele’s work at Trinity College Dublin and uses modular water pumps to create low-cost, small-scale hydropower stations capable of exploiting untapped energy within existing water pipes.

Our installation at the zinc mine in Ireland is the first-ever hydropower station within an operating underground mine. At this site alone we will see annual savings of 200 MWh, the equivalent of powering roughly 50 households, and an offset of about 60 tonnes of carbon per year,“ explains Daniele. “Our technology is particularly suitable for recovering energy from pipe networks and existing water infrastructure, making it a scalable solution for mining companies looking to green their operations and consume less electricity”.

During his PhD at Trinity College Dublin, Daniele, an Italian-born engineer, developed the intellectual property that eventually led to him founding Easy Hydro at the end of 2019. Thanks to collaboration with EU-based equipment manufacturers and a Swedish mining company, together with funding from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology’s (EIT) Raw Materials consortium, he and his team were able to complete the first turbine installation in 2021.

Prior to completing his PhD in Ireland, Daniele obtained a BSc in Italy at Politecnico di Torino and a double MSc degree in Energy Engineering and Management from universities in Poland and Portugal offered by the EIT InnoEnergy consortium. This international outlook has followed Daniele to the business world, where as CEO of Easy Hydro he is already in discussions to replicate the hydropower station with major mining companies in areas such as North America, South Africa and Sweden.

Our goal now is to focus on commercialisation and creating a positive impact in the mining sector at scale,“ says Daniele. “The pilot installation proves that we can produce carbon-free electricity from surplus water pressure in the underground works in a cost-effective way”.

There is an outstanding potential with this technology. Its widespread use could result in savings of over 400,000 tonnes of CO2 annually,“ says Daniele. With large-scale adoption of the technology in view, he is optimistic about the impact his company can make and its contribution to bringing the EU closer to the 2030 targets.

European youth take action to shape a sustainable energy future

Daniele Novara is one of three finalists shortlisted for the EU Sustainable Energy Awards 2021 in the Young Energy Trailblazer category. The award recognises outstanding activities carried out by young people (under 35) which advance the clean energy transition in Europe and inspire ambitious climate and energy action.

EU Sustainable Energy Awards recognise champions of 2030 climate and energy targets

Twelve outstanding individuals and projects are highlighted at the EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) 2021 for their innovation in energy efficiency and renewables. Finalists were chosen from a list of the year’s most successful projects for clean, secure and efficient energy. The awards have four categories – Engagement, Innovation, Woman in Energy and Young Energy Trailblazer – as well as the Citizen’s Award, which will be received by one of the projects in the first two categories. Prizes will be awarded by an expert jury (for Engagement and Innovation), and by citizens via a public vote, which is now open until 22 October. The five winners will be announced on Monday 25 October during EUSEW 2021.

EUSEW 2021

EUSEW 2021 runs from 25 to 29 October 2021, under the theme ‘Towards 2030: Reshaping the European Energy System’. Taking place ahead of the decisive COP 26, the event brings together energy policy experts, industry leaders, academia and civil society representatives to discuss how forward-looking policies for decarbonisation, energy efficiency, climate mitigation, and many others comprising the European Green Deal, can help rebuild a better and more resilient society and economy.

EUSEW 2021 is held as an online event once again, with more opportunities than ever to connect, engage, network and reflect on the biggest issues in clean energy in Europe and beyond.

Registrations for participants and for media are now open. For interview requests with the EUSEW 2021 Award finalists or additional media information, please contact media@eusew.eu

CREDITS FOR THE TURBINE INSTALLATION

This activity has received funding from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union under the Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

Easy Hydro selected to continue to Phase 2 of the EIT RawMaterials Accelerator program

Posted on September 7, 2021September 7, 2021 by Easy Hydro team

After a successful completion of the Phase 1 of the EIT RawMaterials Accelerator program, Easy Hydro has been selected to continue to the following Phase 2. As a part of this, during the coming 6 months we will be assisted by EIT’s Business Developers to further refine our business plan and marketing strategy.

A perfect way to consolidate Easy Hydro’s business in the raw materials sector!

Why is micro hydropower a viable and competitive solution?

Posted on June 11, 2021June 11, 2021 by Easy Hydro team

Renewable energy sources are experiencing impressive growth due to the economy’s decarbonization targets. In order to reach the goals set by the EU, it is very important to foster the application of different solutions to maximize green energy production. Micro hydro potential from water networks stands out as an untapped source of green energy, mostly wasted during the operation of water networks. But how competitive is micro hydropower when compared to other RES? A simple comparison of the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) between a 100kW PV array and different sizes of micro hydropower is presented below:

The annual energy yield of a 33 kW Easy Hydro turbine operating for 4,500 hours per year would be similar to the annual energy yield of a 100 kW PV array. The operational time of the water turbine could be even greater in most circumstances, surpassing the annual energy yield of the 100 kW PV array with just a third of its nominal capacity.
The LCOE obtained for these two systems was: 0.042 €/kWh for the water turbine and 0.05 €/kWh for PV.
When comparing the same nominal power output (100 kW – 4,500 hours of operation) this difference increases, decreasing the LCOE of the 100 kW hydro turbine down to 0.033 €/kWh.

This shows how micro hydropower, despite presenting a slightly greater capital expenditure, presents a greater value from the investment point of view with a more competitive LCOE.

Multistage Pumps as Turbines

Posted on May 19, 2021May 19, 2021 by Easy Hydro team

Common single-stage, centrifugal Pumps as Turbines are a very versatile family of devices suitable for a large variety of flow rate and head conditions. However, these machines can have poor efficiency when used at sites with low flow and high head where traditionally a Pelton turbine would be the preferred choice.

Instead, for those locations Easy Hydro can design and supply a multistage Pump as Turbine which consists of a number of impellers arranged in series. By distributing the head drop across multiple impellers, the turbine can therefore run in a flexible and efficient way at just a fraction of the price tag of a custom-made Pelton wheel.

Energy recovery from break pressure and storage water tanks

Posted on May 5, 2021May 5, 2021 by Easy Hydro team

How Easy Hydro turbines recover energy from on/off or ballcock inflow valves

Most large industrial water consumers are required to connect to the mains through a break tank in order to avoid backflows into the water distribution network. The inflow into such tanks is commonly regulated by a pilot or ball-operated inflow valve according to the level in the break tank itself. However, this approach is energy wasteful and highly inefficient since a stream of pressurized water is being brought to atmospheric pressure in the open-air tank before being distributed to the various industrial processes either by gravity or by further pumping.

An alternative method consists of using small-scale and modular hydropower turbines which can be placed in a bypass of a tank inflow valve and thus transform the dissipated pressure into usable electricity that can be consumed locally or exported to the grid. The type of turbine proposed is reliable and widely tested and consists of standard pumps running in reverse as turbines which only cost a fraction of a conventional custom-made hydro turbine.

Easy Hydro selected to take part in the 2021 EIT RawMaterials Accelerator

Posted on April 6, 2021April 6, 2021 by Easy Hydro team

Easy Hydro was one of the 12 startups selected for the Phase 1 of the 2021 EIT RawMaterials Accelerator programme, with a focus on further refining our business model and exploring the opportunities given by the market.

Our team will work under the guidance and coaching of the EIT RawMaterials Consortium over the next three months, with the target of stepping up to Phase 2 later in the year.

New research published: Multi-Country Scale Assessment of Available Micro-Hydropower in operating Water Networks

Posted on March 29, 2021March 29, 2021 by Easy Hydro team

Easy Hydro collaborates in a research to estimate the micro-hydropower potential in water networks across part of the EU

The Easy Hydro team has participated in a research focused on the quantification of the available energy recovery in water networks including drinking water, wastewater and irrigation across several EU countries as part of the REDAWN project. A total energy recovery potential ranging between 480 – 822 GWh was estimated, which would decrease the energy consumption of the water networks between 1.7 and 13%. This would significantly reduce the CO2 emissions associated with the water industry, whilst actively contributing to net energy efficiency gains.

Very interesting results, which will foster the adoption of micro hydropower solutions to counteract the effects of climate change and advance the EU targets regarding decarbonizing the economy.

The final document is available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/7/899