Author(s): J. Bastian Holler; Anders G. Andersson; J. Gunnar I. Hellstrom

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Abstract: Hydropower plays a central role in the plans for future energy supply. In the future renewable energy mix hydropower can be used to regulate intermittent sources like wind- and solar power to meet the electricity demand. Already today 16 % of the world’s electricity comes from hydropower (IHA, 2022), with the share being significantly higher in the Northern European countries (Nordic Energy Research, 2021). In Sweden, Hydropower accounts for 45 % of the electricity (SEA, 2022), but most of the plants were built before comprehensive environmental legislation was in place. While hydropower is a renewable and low-emission energy source it has serious implications for the local river ecosystem. One of the phenomena of hydropower plants affecting the ecosystems is the change of the natural river discharge to align the power production with the electricity demand. This altered flow changes the hydraulic habitat in the river and thereby impacts the fauna and flora, for instance by reducing spawning habitats or increasing stranding risks for fish (Burman et al., 2021). Recent EU environmental legislation focusing on the quality of water bodies (EU, 2000) and biodiversity (EU, 2020) led to the necessity to reconsider the effects of existing hydropower plants and implement suitable mitigation measures to protect the ecosystem.

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Year: 2024