Key principles for hydropower tunnel design, construction and operation

Hydropower tunnels continue to represent the highest risk and critical path component for most hydropower projects. The increasing focus on hydropower as a major source of renewable energy for the global energy transition has encouraged newcomers, without long-term experience, to the industry. Therefore, this paper provides an update on the the key principles for the planning, design, construction and inspection of hydropower tunnels in light of recent lessons learned.