Without sustainability status from the EU, Norwegian hydropower could lose the trust of customers and investors. This can have major economic consequences. The requirement from the EU is that green energy must contribute to a better climate, without causing serious damage to nature. For hydropower, this means that the rivers must not be drained. And that the fish must be able to swim safely past the turbines, without losing their heads. These are the environmental requirements for green hydropower Mitigation measures include, where relevant and depending on the ecosystems naturally present in the affected water bodies: Measures to ensure downstream and upstream fish migration (such as fish friendly turbines, fish guidance structures, state-of-the-art fully functional fish passes, measures to stop or minimize operation and discharges during migration or spawning); Measures to ensure minimum ecological flow (including mitigation of rapid, short-term variations in flow or hydro-peaking operations) and sediment flow; Measures to protect or enhance habitats. The effectiveness of those measures is monitored in the context of the authorization or permit setting out the conditions aimed at achieving good status or potential of the affected water body. Read more about the sustainability requirements at the European Commission https://ec.europa.eu/sustainable-finance-taxonomy/activities/activity_en.htm?reference=4.5 Not forbidden to damage nature It is not necessarily forbidden to damage nature, when the purpose is to save the climate. But the new sustainability rules in the EU are not about what is legal or illegal. They are about what it takes to be called green – the so-called taxonomy. This week, six Norwegian nature and environmental organizations have come together to issue a joint warning against what they believe to be greenwashing of Norwegian hydropower. – We believe it is greenwashing to call an old-fashioned hydropower plant, which has no minimum water flow, which has no environmental requirements, sustainable. Then we have to say as it is, that this is old hydropower that we may need, but which we cannot define as green and sustainable investment, says biologist Christian Steel in Sabima. news has previously asked NVE how many Norwegian rivers with hydropower meet the EU’s new sustainability rules. They have not been able to answer this. Questions news did not receive an answer to – Environmental condition and environmental requirements in Norwegian hydropower news has asked the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) for an overview of all awarded hydropower concessions, with information on: Which ones have requirements for a minimum water flow attached to the license Which have limitations attached to the license rapid water level changes, so-called effect driving Which of the concessions secure migration routes for fish, upstream and downstream, past turbines and other obstacles in affected waterways Which of the concessions have reservoir restrictions Which water bodies are affected by each hydropower concession Which of the hydropower-affected water bodies that have registered one or more of the following species – state which: Salmon, sea trout, eel, and/or river mussel How many kilometers of river stretch are affected by each license Which of the hydropower-affected water bodies have the status of heavily modified (SMVF) Which of these are heavily modified modified water bodies that have m iljømålet Good ecological potential (GØP) Which of these highly modified water bodies have less stringent environmental targets – cf. Water regulations prg 10. Answer from NVE: All basic information that is requested is stored electronically, and is basically open for inspection. However, the information is distributed across several databases which are linked to a limited extent, or not at all. All information is not digitized either, but is only available as .pdf or text files. According to Section 9 of the Public Administration Act, access to “a compilation of information that is electronically stored in the body’s databases can be required if the compilation can be done using simple procedures.” The question is therefore whether the compilation of the information requested can be carried out using “simple procedures”. The information requested in the access requirement will not, in NVE’s view, be compiled using simple procedures. Almost all points require links between NVE’s (or the Norwegian Environment Agency’s) databases and water networks. Such links do not exist today. The only thing that is requested, which does not require links between our databases and the water network, is an overview of license-imposed minimum water flows, bypass valves and restrictions for power operation, linked to the license in question. Such information can currently only be found in license documents in .pdf or text format (provisions in the maneuvering regulations or item 1 in the conditions for small power plants). Much of the information requested is environmental information according to Section 2 of the Environmental Information Act. The starting point is that everyone has the right to be provided with environmental information according to Section 10 as long as the information is held by NVE and “no exception has been made to the right to information according to” the Environmental Information Act. NVE believes that there is a “real and factual need” to refuse the request for access, cf. Section 11 of the Environmental Information Act. We point out that a compilation of the requested information will take several years. It is legal to destroy rivers For 20 years, Norway has promised the EU to work for a good ecological condition in all water and rivers. But over 2,300 Norwegian rivers are so badly damaged by hydropower that this target cannot be reached – without shutting down the power plants. In that case, the aim is nevertheless to preserve a certain basis for life in the river – so-called good ecological potential. But even this minimum target can be exempted. And here Norway scores at the top of Europe. We have granted ourselves exemptions for over 900 Norwegian rivers with hydropower. By comparison, Sweden has granted exemptions for only 10 of its rivers and waters. This is completely legal. But is it green? The environmental organization Sabima put the question to the European Commission. The answer was no. Hydropower that causes exceptions to the minimum ecological target does not meet the sustainability rules. Doubts about the answer The answer to Sabima comes from the Environment Directorate of the European Commission, DG Environment. Energi Norge still casts doubt on the conclusion. They write to news that this is “an email from an assistant in DG Environment, and not necessarily a response from the commission.” – Do you think the answer from the European Commission is wrong? – There is some doubt as to whether this is official from the European Commission. It does not match the signals we have picked up. We have not heard anything about this from the official political side, says Eivind Heløe, director of sustainability at Energi Norge. Norwegian interests Energi Norge has for a long time fought that as long as exemptions are legal, it must also be able to be called green. They have had to present their views in several meetings with the Ministry of Oil and Energy, the Ministry of Climate and the Environment and the Ministry of Finance. “It is in the common interest of the Norwegian power industry and the Norwegian authorities to be able to market Norwegian hydropower production as sustainable,” says a report written by the law firm Wikborg Rein on behalf of Energi Norge. Rejects greenwashing Energi Norge rejects the claim that this is an attempt to greenwash hydropower. – But this only concerns the 900 most damaged rivers. Why is it so important that these exceptions should also be called sustainable? – The exceptions are granted. The exceptions are legal. This means that the authority has made an assessment that the climate benefits and security of supply outweigh the environmental damage, says Heløe. – Does that mean that all Norwegian hydropower is green, anyway? – I do not rule out that there may be quite a few Norwegian hydropower plants with unacceptable environmental damage. The main rule will still be that the exceptions should also be given the status of sustainable, says Heløe. Nevertheless, Energi Norge emphasizes that they take input from nature and environmental organizations seriously, and that they contribute to research on environmental improvement. See more answers from Energi Norge at the bottom of the case. – Can’t cheat us green NTNU researcher Jo Halleraker warns against this strategy. – We cannot cheat ourselves green. It is entirely possible to ensure that Norwegian hydropower actually becomes sustainable. The solutions exist. What is needed is for the authorities to make demands on the power producers to invest in these solutions, says Halleraker. The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy will not answer directly about whether they support Energi Norge in the fight for green labeling of the exemptions. – But there is no doubt that Norway defends Norwegian interests and Norwegian hydropower, says State Secretary Andreas Bjelland Eriksen. – So it is still uncertain how the new sustainability rules will affect Norwegian hydropower. The EU is working with a guide, and we look forward to this being published, says Bjelland. More answers from Energi Norge We take the input from the organizations seriously and perceive it as constructive. At the same time, we point out that more renewable energy is needed to phase out fossil energy sources – sources that are even more harmful to the planet as a whole. But: Our task is to provide society with more renewable energy. If we cannot do this without unnecessarily damaging nature, we have not answered the task. We guide the country’s hydropower producers on how they can document and report to meet the taxonomy’s requirements. We also contribute heavily to various R&D projects that will contribute to even more environmentally friendly hydropower production. In Norway, we are among the best in the world at this, but the environmental footprint in the individual waterways can be reduced in many places. Energi Norge is and has been involved in R&D projects that have provided new knowledge about fish migration up (stairs) and down (e.g. guide fence in Laudal) More fish-friendly turbines (rotates more slowly, large light openings in kaplan turbines) Goods gates that prevent fish from entering in power plants Habitat measures that increase living and hiding areas for fish Minimum water flow and water flow variations (effect driving) We are now involved in a project in which we provide more knowledge about which measures will be able to take care of and strengthen fish stocks in reservoirs (FunkyFish, NINA)
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EU rules against greenwashing may affect Norwegian hydropower – news – Climate
