From May 3rd to 5th, representatives from each ReHydro partner travelled to Stavanger, Norway, for our second Consortium Meeting. About 70 people attended the three days dedicated to our collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the progress of our efforts towards sustainable hydropower refurbishment. With our partner Lyse hosting us, this meeting offered a special highlight beyond presentations and roundtable discussions: An excursion to the beautiful Norwegian nature and the Røldal-Suldal hydropower system nestled within it

Our agenda was reasonably full. Across a total of seven work packages plus dissemination, exploitation, and communication, and our five main demonstration sites, partners shared insights into the progress they had made so far, as well as the challenges they had overcome and opportunities that lie ahead. From technological developments to societal impacts and environmental considerations, our discussions reflected the broad range of topics covered within ReHydro, and our collective ambition to drive it forward. With at least one representative from each partner present, we could use the opportunity to directly ask for input and ideas.

Our highlight was undoubtedly the excursion to the village of Nesflaten. For one day, we swapped microphones and power points for hiking boots and rain jackets as we ventured into the Norwegian mountains to visit the (former) control center of Røldal-Suldal Kraftverkenen. It consists of a total of 17 reservoirs and nine separate hydropower plants, producing an impressive 3,300 GWh annually. We got to enjoy a guided tour through different parts of the system, such as one of its reservoirs, and learned more about it: How it works, expansion plans for the future, and the positive impacts it has on the area- the latter of which we witnessed first-hand.

Reflecting on these three days, we can clearly say that the value of meetings like these really lies in the personal interactions, collaborations, and the opportunity to see the places we usually only talk about in person. We look forward to continuing this journey together, and to our next opportunity to meet, exchange ideas, and advance sustainable hydropower refurbishment.