Sediment handling

Research institute: HydroCen

Clean water is incredibly important in hydropower. Sediments like rock, gravel, sand and clay can damage turbines and tunnels and cause expensive maintenance costs.

In Norway, we have hard rock and clean water, but in many other countries sediment in the water can cause huge problems for power plants and the surrounding environment.

Researchers on sediment management are thus addressing a global problem for economy, environment and sustainability. This research aims to find new solutions for sediment management, to develop turbine designs that manage sediment wear, and to investigate sediment measurements and environmental impacts.

The objective of this research project is the development and application of cost-effective, innovative, technical solutions to handle sediments at hydro power plants exposed to high sediment yield.