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VerdErg were pleased to attend another successful British Hydropower Association annual conference at the Glasgow Central DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel. The two-day event brought together national and international technology providers, project developers, industry suppliers, stakeholders, regulators and academia to discuss the latest developments in the hydropower industry. The keynote address was given by Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Scottish Government Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy who demonstrated his commitment to renewables and support for the hydropower community.
In spite of the challenging financial climate for renewables with the degression of the Feed In Tariffs (FITs), it was fantastic to hear inspiring speakers from across the sector advising on how best to deliver economic schemes whilst adopting sustainability and social requisites such as environmental flows. Updates on reforms to water resource legislation and news on the exciting technological developments in energy storage in hydropower were also given.
A technical exhibition, in parallel to the conference, showcased products and services of technology developers and industry suppliers. Delegates also had the chance to network with old contacts and make new ones. However, the significant cuts in renewable energy subsidies had a clear impact on the number of conference attendees which is also reflected in the lower number of new licence applications in 2016 compared to previous years. The market is obviously in need for low cost hydropower solutions which VerdErg is addressing with its VETT technology.