The Office for Hydropower North-Rhine Westphalia

The energy state of North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW) is one of the most modern and important energy regions in the world and the use of hydroelectric power has a long tradition. It contributes both to the supply of electrical energy and to climate protection. The technically usable potential of hydroelectric power is currently estimated in NRW at 800 GWh/a electricity, of which approx. 200 GWh/a has not been exploited to date. The Office for Hydroelectric Power was created within the framework of the Energy Agency.NRW in 2001. Its functions include the networking of information and available facilities, as well as the establishment of short lines of communication between specialists from water authorities, environmental and nature conservation associations, fisheries and angling clubs and the operators of hydroelectric power plants. It is often faced with the task of moderation to transparency and acceptance of a sustainable use of hydropower to contribute. Against the backdrop of the EC Water Resources Framework Directive, NRW is engaged in expanding hydropower in a way that is harmless to the ecology of waterways, and to do this by reactivating and optimizing active hydropower plants and by using hydropower technology at existing dams and infrastructural facilities.