Pienvesivoimayhdistys ry
The association for small hydropower
The goal of the Small Hydropower Association is to support Finnish small hydropower production and entrepreneurship. At present, small hydropower provides significant annual added value to the Finnish society. In 2022, about 1 TWh of electrical energy was produced by small hydropower. Based on energy production and emission rights, the value of this production was approximately 220 million euros.
From the Association’s website, you can find fact-based information on matters related to small hydropower.
You are viewing the English section of the associations website. It is more limited in content and scope, as not all contentg published in Finnish has been made available.
What is small hydro power?
Hydropower is a emission-free way to generate electricity by utilizing dammed water flowing through the power plant. This is done by taking advantage of the height differences in the hydroelectric power plant, and electricity is produced when the flowing water rotates the turbine. Small hydro power refers to hydroelectric power stations of a certain size.
Micro hydropower
All devices and plants with a power of less than 0.1MW fall within the scope of micro hydropower.
Mini hydropower
Mini hydropower is defined as those plants whose power is at least 0.1MW but less than 1MW.
Small hydropower
The facilities with a capacity of at least 1 MW but less than 10 MW are classified as small hydropower plants.
The operation of the Small Hydro Power Association includes all three power categories listed above, each with a power rating under 10MW: micro-hydropower, mini-hydropower, and small-hydropower. Power plants with a power rating over 10MW are considered large hydropower.
Association’s History
The association was founded on December 2, 1998, to support the Finnish small hydropower industry.
In 2022, the association became active in producing fact-based information about the economic significance of small hydropower to society, and its relationship to the environment, to support ongoing discussions.
What is regulating power?
In addition to being emission-free, hydropower is said to be particularly important as regulating power. What on earth does that mean?
In the context of hydroelectric power, the term “regulating power” refers to the capability of a power system to swiftly adjust electricity production levels in response to changes in electricity demand or supply. This is crucial for maintaining balance in the power grid. Hydropower’s ability to quickly ramp up or down its power output makes it an excellent source of this type of power.