Industrial IoT is Accelerating the Deployment of Hydropower to Achieve Net Zero

This paper aims to present the evolution of hydropower generation over the next two decades. It provides insights on the role of modern technology, specifically Industrial IoT and Industry 4.0 technologies, the tangible benefits they can deliver by improving efficiency, reducing costs and enhancing safety across the engineering, build, operate, maintain life cycle stages in hydropower plants. We recognize the major role that hydropower will play in the power system, especially when we add large-scale variable generation in the network to meet net zero emission target. Variable generation in the system has implications for the reliability and stability of the power system. Hydropower plants, including pumped storage, significantly provide network balancing power and improve network reliability, stability and safety.