A2A is testing an underwater robot to manage sediment at the Cancano dam in northern Italy while keeping the reservoir in use for hydropower generation.
The pilot, called Project Teti, was developed with French robotics company Watertracks. A2A said the system has moved more than 10,000m³ of sediment within the reservoir so far. It is designed to avoid the need to empty the basin for this maintenance work.
At Cancano, the electrically powered tracked robot operates at a depth of about 80m. Two rotary cutters loosen material on the reservoir bed before a pump transfers it to a designated area away from the water intakes. Operators monitor the work remotely, including the flow rate and concentration of the pumped sediment.
The distinction is that the sediment is relocated within the reservoir, rather than extracted for disposal. A2A said this approach allows the plant to remain operational during the work and avoids using reservoir water to flush sediment downstream. The company also said the submerged operation limits disturbance at the site.
A2A chief executive Renato Mazzoncini said the group intends to make the technology available across its hydropower plants if the Cancano trial concludes successfully, with possible use at other Italian reservoirs. The company is also considering future options for treating and reusing sediment; it has not announced such a process as part of the current pilot.
