A new online resource developed by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) aims to simplify the process of selecting turbine technologies for hydropower facilities. Backed by the US Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office, the Hydropower Technology Catalog is designed to support utility operators and developers in making informed decisions during construction or upgrades.
The catalog organizes more than 100 turbine technologies with detailed descriptions, applications, performance metrics, costs, and potential benefits. It is intended for a wide range of users, from industry professionals to those new to hydro.
“The Hydropower Technology Catalog was born out of a project that explored how hydropower can benefit the energy sector,” said Trevor Atkinson, a research scientist at INL who led the project. “We needed to understand the available and emerging technologies in the hydropower space, and we compiled this information into a catalog so people can connect to companies within the hydropower industry.”
To develop the tool, INL researchers reviewed manufacturer websites, interviewed technology providers, analysed government-funded research, and examined industry publications.
“Everything in the catalog is up-to-date,” said Atkinson. “We contacted everyone whose technologies we included about their products and linked to their websites.”
The catalog classifies turbine technologies into four categories:
- Impoundment: Uses reservoir water to generate energy through elevation drops.
- Diversion: Redirects water to a powerhouse without major storage.
- Conduit: Applies to tunnels, canals, pipelines, and other water transport systems.
- Hydrokinetic: Generates power from the movement of water without elevation changes.
“We created something simple enough that anyone can understand it,” Atkinson said. “The biggest benefit is that anyone can go on the site and quickly identify something that fits their specific needs. They can learn everything they need in the Hydropower Technology Catalog, reducing the timeline for selecting a technology.”
INL continues to enhance the catalog with updates that include turbine efficiency, cost estimates, and, soon, a directory of related service providers such as engineering and environmental consulting firms.
“The Hydropower Technology Catalog is a very valuable, powerful interface tool that is readily available to help the hydropower industry and hydropower developers,” said Boualem Hadjerioua, director of hydro operations at Mesa Associates Inc., and a catalog user.
