Empowering smart renewable cities through hydropower technology in urban drinking water supply systems

Introduction

LIFE TURBINES aims to boost the development of Smart Cities and promote decarbonisation of drinking water supply in order to achieve the European Union's 2050 target, the Green Deal, and the new REPowerEU Plan. The project focuses on the generation of hydroelectric power by taking advantage of the excess pressures that occur in the drinking water supply network of cities to generate electricity from a renewable resource such as water.

Objectives

LIFE TURBINES contributes to the specific objectives of the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation sub-programme, with the aim to shift towards a sustainable, energy-efficient, renewable energy-based, climate-neutral, and resilient economy, thereby contributing to sustainable development.

Demonstration of Technology

LIFE TURBINES will demonstrate that any point where there is a difference in pressure can be used to obtain hydroelectric energy. Depending on the technical characteristics of each case, the energy can be used for different public and private purposes.

Case Studies

LIFE TURBINES will address four case studies, located in Spain and Italy, each with different technical characteristics. The optimisation of the hydraulic machine selected, as well as the use of the energy in each case study, will be relevant issues that will provide the project with a great capacity for replication.

Communication Strategy

The project will also have a strategy for communication, dissemination, and transfer of results that will ensure a wide implementation of micro-hydro systems in the distribution network in Europe and beyond.

Ultimate Aim

The ultimate aim of the LIFE TURBINES development is to contribute to climate-neutral cities while lightening the load on the electricity system as well as reducing energy dependence.

Communication Plan Objectives

The objective of the project's communication plan will be to promote renewable energy production in drinking water supply networks, consolidating it as a sustainable, autonomous, and decentralised technology that responds to the energy consumption needs of the European population.