Balancing hydropeaking mitigation and hydropower production

Around 60% of Switzerland’s power production is provided by hydropower. Despite its numerous advantages, the high fluctuations in turbined discharges cause hydropeaking at downstream rivers. Due to the environmental impacts of hydropeaking on fauna and flora, the Swiss Federal Act on the Protection of Waters requires dam operators to put in place remediation measures for hydropeaking effects before the end of 2030. At the same time, the Energy Strategy 2050 and the decision on the progressive withdrawal from nuclear energy production leads to the need of increasing energy shares from other sources of energy, among which, hydropower. In this context, the aim of this project is to come up with solutions that would allow for hydropeaking mitigation without hindering hydropower production.