Our main objective is to enable the Norwegian hydropower sector to meet complex challenges and exploit new opportunities through innovative technological solutions.

The research areas include:

• hydropower structures
• turbine and generators
• market and services
• environmental design

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) is the host institution and is the main research partner together with SINTEF Energy Research and the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA).

HydroCen has about 50 national and international partners from industry, R&D institutes and universities.

The annual budget is NOK 48 mill per year, total NOK 384 mill in eight years.

• Norwegian Research Council: 50 %
• User partners: 25 %
• Research partners: 25%

HydroCen is a Centre for Environment-friendly Energy Research (FME). The FME scheme is established by the Norwegian Research Council.

The objective of the Research Council of Norway FME-scheme is to establish time-limited research centres, which conduct concentrated, focused and long-term research of high international calibre in order to solve specific challenges in the field.

The FME-centres can be established for a maximum period of eight years (an initial five-year period with the possibility of a three-year extension). HydroCen was established in 2016.