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Some of the world’s largest hydro operators share lessons learned at HYDROVISION

Some of the world’s largest hydro operators share lessons learned at HYDROVISION

At the 4th Global Symposium for Large Hydropower Plant Operators, held July 16 at HYDROVISION International, more than 30 attendees representing owners of large hydro plants worldwide met together to share experiences, best practices and lessons learned.

At this invitation-only event, participants from 13 companies in eight countries spent a packed day educating and learning from their peers. Partners for the event were the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and International Hydropower Association, and Solidification Products was the sponsor.

Imagine owning a hydropower plant on the gigawatt scale. Take the 6,809 MW Grand Coulee hydroelectric project in the U.S. for example, which was represented at the symposium. How many other people worldwide do you think truly understand the unique challenges faced in operating, maintaining, repairing, staffing, etc., a plant of that size. True “peers” in the industry, outside of co-workers at the plant, are hard to find.

That is the unique value of this symposium at HYDROVISION International. Not only are the attendees in the room a cohort of peers who can share your frustrations and challenges, they also can offer potential solutions to scenarios others likely have faced and overcome. Lessons learned on a gigawatt-scale, if you will.

To make the symposium even more valuable, all content delivered is developed by these peers and focuses on all aspects of the industry. For example, topics discussed during this symposium ranged from the challenges of attracting and retaining qualified personnel to strategies for managing hydropower assets to plans for preserving hydroelectric resources for the long term.

The interactive and engaging symposium concluded with a discussion of unique challenges faced, issues that need resolution and more. After all, how can you be in a room with these peers and not take advantage of all the knowledge they have to offer?