The market readiness of AI applications and digital solutions for hydro

This paper reviews AI applications and digital solutions for hydro plants. Digitalization has become a key issue in recent years and has proved to be beneficial in many sectors. Today, the hydro sector is facing a fast-changing environment and is being driven not only to provide baseload generation, but also flexibility to the grid. This paper identifies the challenges facing the sector during the energy transition era and reviews the market readiness of various digital solutions. These technologies are reviewed for their advantages, drawbacks and feasibility for hydro plants. The results show that digitalization can significantly improve operation, maintenance and rehabilitation of hydro plants.