Volue signs agreement to optimise PPC’s hydropower operations – International Water Power

Report on the Strategic Partnership Between Volue and PPC for Sustainable Hydropower Optimisation

Introduction

A strategic agreement has been established between Norwegian software provider Volue and Public Power Corporation (PPC), a leading clean energy company in Southeast Europe. The partnership involves the deployment of Volue’s Smart Power SaaS platform to enhance PPC’s hydropower operations. This initiative represents a significant advancement in the region’s energy sector, aligning with critical decarbonisation goals and directly supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Profile of Key Stakeholders

• Public Power Corporation (PPC): A major energy entity in Southeast Europe operating across Greece, Romania, North Macedonia, Italy, and Bulgaria. PPC serves 8.7 million customers with an installed capacity exceeding 12.5GW. Its portfolio includes 3.2GW of hydropower, featuring two pumped storage facilities essential for grid stability and renewable energy integration.
• Volue: A technology solutions provider headquartered in Oslo, specialising in energy system optimisation. The company serves over 2,500 customers across more than 40 countries, providing technology to support the green energy transition.

Technological Deployment and Operational Objectives

The core of the agreement is the implementation of Volue’s Smart Power platform to manage PPC’s hydropower assets. The platform is designed to achieve several key objectives that contribute to sustainable energy production.

Primary Objectives:

1. Enhance Production Planning: Improve short- and mid-term hydropower scheduling to maximise efficiency and output.
2. Optimise Water Resource Management: Ensure the most effective use of water resources, a crucial component of responsible production under SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).
3. Increase Operational Efficiency: Utilise advanced optimisation models and automation to streamline the management of multi-asset portfolios.
4. Maximise Clean Energy Generation: Boost the output of renewable hydropower, directly contributing to SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
5. Support Digitalisation and Decarbonisation: Align with PPC’s strategic focus on adopting innovative digital tools to advance its decarbonisation agenda, a key tenet of SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This partnership makes significant contributions to several Sustainable Development Goals through its focus on technology-driven clean energy optimisation.

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: The project directly supports this goal by maximising the generation of clean, renewable hydropower. The optimisation of pumped storage facilities enhances grid stability, which is critical for integrating intermittent renewable sources like solar and wind.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: By deploying a state-of-the-art SaaS platform, PPC is investing in innovative technology to modernise its energy infrastructure. This digitalisation effort builds a more resilient and efficient energy system for the future.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The platform’s core function of optimising water resource use promotes sustainable management and responsible production patterns, ensuring that natural resources are used efficiently.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: The agreement is a direct measure to combat climate change by supporting PPC’s decarbonisation strategy. Increasing the efficiency and output of hydropower reduces reliance on fossil fuels and lowers greenhouse gas emissions.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
   • The article focuses on hydropower, a form of renewable and clean energy. It explicitly mentions PPC as one of Southeast Europe’s largest “clean energy companies” and highlights the goal to “maximise clean energy generation.” The entire initiative supports the transition to sustainable energy systems.
2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
   • The core of the article is about deploying an innovative technology platform (“Smart Power SaaS platform”) to upgrade existing energy infrastructure (hydropower plants). This aligns with promoting sustainable industrialization through “digitalisation,” “advanced optimisation models,” and increasing “operational efficiency.”
3. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • By optimizing and maximizing clean energy from hydropower, the initiative directly contributes to climate change mitigation. The article states the agreement aligns with PPC’s strategic focus on “decarbonisation” and aims to “reduce environmental impact,” which are key components of climate action.
4. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
   • The software platform’s function to support “optimising water resource use” directly relates to the sustainable management of water resources, a central theme of SDG 6. Efficiently managing water for energy production is crucial for integrated water resource management.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
   • The article discusses PPC’s 3.2GW of hydropower capacity and its role in “advancing renewable energy in Southeast Europe.” The optimization platform aims to “maximise clean energy generation,” directly contributing to increasing the share of renewables.
2. Target 7.a: By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology… and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology.
   • The agreement between a Norwegian software provider (Volue) and a Greek energy company (PPC) to deploy advanced technology for clean energy is a clear example of international cooperation to improve energy infrastructure.
3. Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies.
   • The deployment of Volue’s “Smart Power platform” is a direct application of a clean and environmentally sound technology to upgrade existing hydropower infrastructure, with stated goals of “increasing operational efficiency” and “optimising water resource use.”
4. Target 6.5: By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels.
   • The platform’s capability for “hydropower production planning and optimisation” and “optimising water resource use” is a practical implementation of integrated water resources management, balancing the needs of energy generation with the sustainable use of water.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Implied Indicator for Target 7.2: Share of renewable energy (hydropower) in the energy mix.
   • The article mentions PPC’s 3.2GW of hydropower capacity. Progress can be measured by the increase in energy output and efficiency from this capacity after the platform’s implementation, thus increasing the effective share of renewable energy.
2. Implied Indicator for Target 9.4: Increased operational efficiency and resource optimization.
   • The article states the platform will help in “increasing operational efficiency” and “optimising water resource use.” These efficiency gains can be quantified and used as indicators of progress in making the infrastructure more sustainable and resource-efficient.
3. Implied Indicator for Target 13.2: Reduction in environmental impact.
   • The platform is designed to “reduce environmental impact.” While not specified, this could be measured by the reduction in CO2 emissions achieved by maximizing clean hydropower generation, thereby displacing fossil fuel-based power plants from the grid.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: waterpowermagazine.com