Climate change and hydropower production

How will the inflow of water to hydropower plants change in future? Foto: Jonas/Magnusson (WSL)

In this interdisciplinary project research teams from WSL (Mountain Hydrology and Mass Movements), Univ. Bern (Hydrology), ETH Zürich (Atmosphere and Climate, VAW Glaciology, Centre of Energy Policy and Economics) and Univ. Zürich (Physical Geography) have investigated the effect of a changing climate on the Swiss Hydropower production.

Main study

In a first step climate change scenarios were downscaled from climate models for the periods 2020 to 2050 and 2070 to 2100 for different regions of Switzerland. Past and future impacts of a changing climate were then be simulated for 50 representative Swiss catchments (including sensitivity analysis of the production and demand in respect to changes of the hydrometeorological conditions). Further, for a selection of five case studies (hydropower plants) the climate change impact on the hydropower production were analysed in detail.

The project is under the lead of the Mountain Water Network, and it is financed by swisselectric research and BfE (Swiss Federal Office of Energy).

Focus study Valais

Within the main study an additional study (Valais, Hydropower, Climate Change) were focussed on the southern Swiss region Valais. Similar analysis as in the main study were done on a finer spatial scale. In addition, the impacts of climate change on glacier evolution and bedload transport were analysed. This WSL-lead work was financed by the Section of Energy and Hydropower of the Valais canton and the Forces Motrices Valaisannes. Both studies are published in the synthesis bulletin (see publications).

Publications

Swiss Association for Hydrology and Limnology SGHL and Swiss Hydrological Commission CHy (Eds) 2011.  Auswirkungen der Klimaänderung auf die Wasserkraftnutzung – Synthesebericht. Beiträge zur Hydrologie der Schweiz, Nr. 38, 28 S., Bern. ISBN 978-3-033-02970-5 / ISSN 1421-1130 (only in german)

• M. Raymond Pralong, J. M. Turowski, A. Beer, D. Rickenmann, V. Métraux, T. Glassey 2011. Auswirkung der Klimaänderung auf die Geschiebefracht – Sektorielle Studie Wallis, Modul D
• M. Raymond Pralong, M. Stähli, M. Zappa, Ch. Dupraz, Ch. Mueller 2011. Klimaänderung und Wasserkraft – Fallstudie Mattmark AG
• M. Stähli, M. Zappa, A. Ludwig, M. Ossiaa, A. Fankhauser 2011. Klimaänderung und Wasserkraft – Fallstudie Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG
• M. Raymond Pralong, M. Stähli, M. Zappa, F. Widmer 2011. Klimaänderung und Wasserkraft – Fallstudie Kraftwerke Gougra AG
• M. Stähli, M. Zappa, T. Jonas, F. Kobierska 2011. Klimaänderung und Wasserkraft – Fallstudie Stausee Göscheneralp

Project cooperation

University of Bern, Groupe of Hydrology

ETH Zürich, Atmosphere and Climate

ETH Zürich, VAW Glaziologie

ETH Zürich, Centre for Energy Policy and Economics

University of Zürich, Department of Geography

Project team

• Manfred Stähli
• Massimiliano Zappa
• Mélanie Raymond Pralong
• Jan Magnusson
• Tobias Jonas
• Dieter Rickenmann
• Jens Turowski
• Alexander Beer

Contact

• Manfred Stähli