RENEWAT

Europe's rivers are dotted with numerous hydraulic structures, and a proper understanding of their management/use/maintenance has often been forgotten.
In terms of small-scale hydropower, European research has identified around 65,000 potential production sites, including 27,000 water mills, for an estimation of 1.6 TWh for the ones in good status.

One must deplore that, although more and more local project promoters wish to re-activate existing water mills, they endure many administrative barriers before the mill activity can be re-envisaged for micro hydropower production.

Within RENEWAT, partners from 6 countries will share knowledge and actions to lead renewable energy project in existing water mills. Subjects such as financial models, technical skills, and administrative steps will be studied and will lead to inspiring good practices which will be adapted by partners where relevant.

RENEWAT overall objective is to upskill local and regional actors of the partners territories about water mills repowering, so that this renewable energy is clearly identified and supported in their local and regional policies amongst the renewable energy mix.

In this way RENEWAT will improve specific policy instruments, which are of different scales, approaches and locations, but all together serving a complementary approach and vision about the repowering of existing water mills.

What must not be forgotten is that water mills re-activation can lead to a significant source of local economy and highly qualified jobs (engineering, craftsmen, developers… in environment, energy, historic buildings, hydraulic structures, water management, hydropower) with positive impact on the social community.

Finally, the revitalisation of ancestral practices can also lead to innovative technological solutions, either for micro hydropower sustainable solutions, or about the way local renewable energy is produced and distributed (self-consumption, smart metering and smart grids).