Raising awareness on the potential of repowering watermills
RENEWAT project addresses the cultural and territorial challenges of repowering watermills as modern tools for producing renewable energy. On the journey to reach its goals, the project reunites 9 partners from 8 countries across Europe. Who are RENEWAT partners, and what is their experience and objectives?
Syndicate Energy Haute-Vienne (SEHV)
Lead Partner - France
SEHV is a public institution that brings together more than 200 local authorities. It is located in a hilly and rural territory with medium-sized towns. The region also has numerous rivers and a strong history of hydroelectricity production from dams and lakes.
Committed to energy responsibility since 2006, SEHV leads the actions of local authorities for a coordinated and successful energy transition across Haute-Vienne area. SEHV is the lead partner of RENEWAT and aims to connect the project with the Energy and Climate territorial planning, with the goal of increasing renewable energy production from hydropower.
French Mills Federation (FDMF)
Project Partner - France
The FDMF is located in Bordeaux and brings together more than 100 members in France, representing over 3,000 mills. Its main objectives are the study, safeguarding, restoration, valorisation, and sustainability of various infrastructures, including watermills, along with the properties linked to their activities. The Federation has worked on many European projects (such as VIA MOLINA) and is an important actor that unites regional, departmental, and local associations, public and private organisations, as well as individual members and companies from France and Europe.
Municipality of Martijanec
Project Partner - Croatia
Martijanec Municipality is a small community with 2,800 inhabitants. It is situated between the Drava and Plitvica rivers, which were historically utilized as water resources for everyday needs. Their main aim is to integrate innovative technologies for renewable energy sources in historical buildings, making them protected places for social and educational exchange in the future. They are focusing on one old water mill, which could provide a local source of renewable energy. The mill is located in an untouched environment and has not been used since 50 years.
Rzeszow Regional Development Agency (RRDA)
Project Partner - Poland
RRDA was established in 1993 with the goal of promoting the comprehensive development of the Podkarpacie region, which is located close to the Ukrainian and Slovakian borders. The department has been, and continues to be involved in lots of projects, including the Interreg programme. RRDA will focus on the Regional Innovation Strategy 2021-2030, which aims to promote environmentally friendly energy and the use of historic energy infrastructures (many water mills could be repowered).
Energy Agency of Savinjska, Saleska and Koroska Region (KSSENA)
Project Partner - Slovenia
KSSENA was established in 2006 within the framework of the Intelligent Energy Europe program. The agency is active in fields such as energy efficiency and renewable energy, and has cooperated in many National and European projects. It focuses on topics such as energy management, strategy and policy development, and the development of training activities. The region is in transition from the coal to renewable sources in line with the 2030 objectives of energy efficiency. KSSENA will focus on raising awareness and reviving the untapped micro hydropower potential of the Savinja region.
Vytautas Magnus University (VDU)
Advisory Partner - Lithuania
VDU carries on studies in areas related to the water sector. It is involved in many international associations, and is a regional leader in the research concerning topics such as water resources management, water supply and hydropower. As advisory partner, VDU is highly involved in the up-skilling activities for local and regional actors, raising awareness on the potential of re-powering historical infrastructures. Basing on its experience (such as the participation in the RESTOR-HYDRO project) VDU will also be able to give active inputs on good practices to create watermills communities.
Molise toward 2000 (GAL Molise)
Project Partner - Italy
Gal Molise was established with the aim of designing, implementing, and managing initiatives in the field of local development. The organization is set in Molise, which is predominantly rural, and has developed activities in many national and international cooperation projects (such as the Leader programme and the Interreg South-Adriatic), contributing in the creation of a network of public and private entities to define good practices for territorial development. Gal Molise also have a Training Center (mostly on agriculture) and a premier Energy community, which led the way for several others.