HYDRO HYBRIDIZATION 2026 opens in the vibrant city of Porto, Portugal, welcoming delegates from more than 35 countries.
HYDRO HYBRIDIZATION 2026 has opened in the vibrant city of Porto, Portugal, welcoming delegates from more than 35 countries and providing an international forum for experts in solar PV, hydropower, dam safety, storage systems and grid management, to explore the rapidly growing opportunities presented by hybrid energy systems.
Co-hosted by Aqua-Media International and ICOLD, this is the third international conference in this series on hydropower hybridization, and examines the full spectrum of hybrid renewable energy solutions, including hydropower integration, floating solar PV, energy storage systems and the policy frameworks required to support large-scale deployment.
Participants from Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa represent utilities, hydropower owners and operators, research institutions, specialist consultants, manufacturers, technology providers, and finance and legal experts involved in renewable energy development.
Opening the event on behalf of Aqua-Media International, Alison Bartle highlighted the strategic importance of renewable-led energy systems in strengthening energy security. “There has never been a more important time to focus on renewable energy. Climate change and geopolitical instability underline the need for energy independence, making it imperative to maximise the integration of clean, renewable and sustainable energy,” she noted.
D.K. Sharma, President of ICOLD, addressing delegates during the Plenary Opening Session.
D.K. Sharma, President of ICOLD, reinforced the importance of resilient energy and water management. He emphasized that increasingly extreme weather events, unpredictable hydrological patterns, and the urgent imperative to decarbonize our economies demand that we “reinvent how we manage our water and energy resources”.
Klaus Jorde, Executive Committee Secretary of IEA Hydro, drew attention to some global challenges, such as climate change, making accelerated renewable development imperative. He spoke of some of the Technical Collaboration Programmes within IEA which included work on RE hybridization.
Maria João Coelho, representing ELECPOR, the association for Portugal’s electrical sector and a supporting organization of HYDRO HYBRIDIZATION 2026.
Maria João Coelho, representing ELECPOR, the association for Portugal’s electrical sector and a supporting organization of HYDRO HYBRIDIZATION 2026, highlighted that Portugal has become one of Europe’s leading producers of renewable electricity. She explained that there have already been periods where renewable sources have met virtually all national electricity demand for several consecutive days, demonstrating the remarkable progress made in transforming the national energy system. Ms Coelho noted, however, that as the share of renewable generation continues to grow, there is an increasing need for flexibility, storage capacity and system resilience, making hydropower and hybrid renewable systems essential to the energy transition. By combining hydropower with solar, wind and battery storage, hybrid systems can enhance grid stability while maximizing the use of existing infrastructure and transmission assets, she said.
The first session, chaired by Ana Paula Moreira, a Member of EDP’s Renewable Generation Assets Management Team, Portugal, examined regulatory frameworks and the challenges of delivering large-scale hybrid projects. Ms Moreira observed: “The question is no longer whether hybrid systems work, but how we can make them investable and create the right framework for large-scale implementation”. Speakers throughout the session shared valuable insights into achieving this objective through supportive regulation, innovative financing models and international collaboration.
Several speakers referred to the lack of appropriate regulations and guidelines (examples were Cameroon and Italy), and in the EU, inconsistency between regulations in the different European countries, or even regions within the same country.
During the second session on the role, benefits and plans for hybridization schemes, chaired by Luc Deroo of ISL, France, several speakers highlighted that hybridization is not only about gaining additional generation, but also improving the efficiency of existing hydro plants, saving water, critical for multipurpose schemes, particularly in some African nations.
There were questions from the floor from delegates from Mozambique, Cameroon, Lesotho, Uganda and Ukraine among others, which clearly demonstrated that those embarking on new hybrid/FPV developments in their countries are keen to learn from experts with longer term experience.
The conference continues with discussions under the core themes of technical innovation, safety and best practice, and environmental protection. Presentations also include practical experiences from Spain, Ukraine, Cameroon, Switzerland, and Germany, as well as Portugal’s flagship FPV project at Alqueva.
Alongside the conference, a technical exhibition showcases the latest developments in floating solar, energy storage and other renewable technologies, providing further opportunities for knowledge sharing, collaboration and industry networking.
The event concludes with a technical visit to the Alto Rabagão dam and reservoir, home to Portugal’s first floating solar PV plant and the country’s pioneering open FPV Research Laboratory, recognized as a European benchmark for the development and validation of emerging floating solar technologies.
