Date Time
Small hydropower plants do more harm than good
The example of Romania shows conflicting goals and misguided developments in European environmental and energy policy
The construction of the Dumitra HPP in the Jiu River Gorge National Park on one of the last unobstructed rivers in the Southern Carpathians. | Photo: Calin Dejeu
Hydropower is renewable, but mostly not environmentally friendly. A study led by IGB shows for Romania how the expansion of hydropower runs counter to the goals of EU environmental policy. Hydropower conflicts with the requirements of the Flora-Fauna-Habitat Directive (Natura 2000) and the European Water Framework Directive (WFD): around half of the hydropower plants in Romania are located in nature conservation areas. These are mostly small plants that contribute only 3 percent of Romania’s electricity generation, but threaten biodiversity. Therefore, European energy policy urgently needs to be aligned with the goals of the EU Biodiversity Strategy, the researchers warn. Otherwise, there is a risk of significant losses of freshwater biodiversity, and the goals of the EU Green Deal would not be achievable.