Testing Digital Solutions in a Run-of-River Hydroelectric Power Plant
Bratia, Arges County, Romania – October 2025 — As part of the EU-funded D-HYDROFLEX project, the Bratia Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) demo is showcasing how digital technologies can transform traditional hydropower infrastructure into a flexible, secure, and sustainable pillar of Europe’s energy transition.
Demo Case at a Glance
Location: Bratia, Arges County, Romania
Lead Partners: INTEX PRIM GREEN ENERGY SRL (INTEX), ASOCIATIA INOVARE SI DEZVOLTARE IN ENERGIE (IDEA)
Demo Goals:
- Fault detection and predictive maintenance based on advanced data processing
- Energy production forecasting, based on available data related to the power station operation and heterogeneous and exogenous data
- Hybridization of HPP for increased flexibility by facilitating connection to other renewable energy sources via local smart grids and/or VPP
Challenges Faced
The demo tackled key barriers such as:
- Lack of flexibility for RES, smart grids or VPP connection
- Improved predictive maintenance for cost reduction purposes
- New market options / strategies
Innovative Solutions Delivered
To overcome these, the team:
- Develop & implement the SCADA update for real-time data connection with D-HYDROFLEX service developers, in order to fully support the validation phase
- Defined the fault detection and predictive maintenance, together with the energy production forecasting, that will provide a much needed improvement in O&M strategy already in place
Impact & Future Outlook
Early results show:
- Increase smart readiness of the HPP for operation and preventive maintenance purposes
- Readiness for hybrid future connection with other RES sources and/or VPP
- Readiness for integration & operation into local smart grids
Voices from the Demo
“The development of D-HYDROFLEX will provide useful tools to INTEX as demo owner for operation and preventive maintenance purposes”, said Radu Ivașcu, Director – INTEX.
To learn more, please visit https://d-hydroflex.eu/ to explore all demonstration sites and stay updated on the project’s progress. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter for the latest news and insights.
