Long-term scheduling model of Swiss hydropower

In this paper, we present a long-term scheduling optimization model of the Swiss hydropower plants. The model considers the 68 biggest storage (SHP) and pumped hydro power plants (PHPS), covering almost 90% of the total hydropower production in Switzerland. The power plants are interconnected through rivers and water streams, consequently forming 21 independent (not exchanging water) cascades with one to five interconnected power plants in a single cascade. The modelled production of individual power plants, as well as aggregated production for the entire country, are validated against historical data. Despite the necessary assumptions made, the model provides close to reality results and can be used to model the hydro-scheduling behaviour in the future to understand the prospects and challenges of Swiss hydropower within the energy transition.