Market development

In today’s rapidly changing energy market, power producers must optimize their investments. They are looking beyond the simple cost of equipment, toward the lowest total ownership cost. They need partners who share their goals, their expertise and who offer total solutions with the highest possible returns. Here Voith Hydro will play a vital role.

Our combined experience enables us to better understand our customers’ needs. Our integrated technology and coordinated R & D focus create more complete and innovative solutions resulting in more value for the customer – and with only one interface, your projects are completed more efficiently.


Region 1: North and South America

After deregulation and dramatic power shortages in North America , the situation balances out again.

Nevertheless, upgrading and, in parts, adding of new capacity remains the priority of our customers. Blackouts in energy supply systems underline the susceptibility of complex energy markets and the ensuing need for action. Therefore, apart from establishing back-up capacities, a revitalisation of pumped storage systems can be expected, by which grids can be stabilised considerably faster and better than by any other type of energy generation. Especially in the USA it became clear that sub-grids supplied by hydropower systems continue running without problems, while the surrounding networks had to be switched off due to overload.

The increase in energy generated from existing power stations in traditional hydro power markets therefore carries an enormous potential for the rehabilitation, modernization and automation of these plants. This situation warrants a stable and partially growing environment for hydro power generation.

In Latin America, the situation for hydro power is further improving as delivery times and fuel costs for combustion turbines increase.

Our innovative approach to develop and implement hydro power projects within less than four years makes this industry and its products competitive and attractive for private investment.

Bath County, USA


Xingó, Brazil

Region 2: Europe, CIS, Africa, India,

The entire European energy environment suffers from overcapacity and deregulation. With this situation comes limitation of budgets on the customer side as well as a restrictive handling of upgrading and maintenance of existing hydro power plants.

Limited opportunities for new projects are further jeopardized by restrictive financing of international finance institutes and biased actions by NGOs against environmentally friendly hydro power generation. However, here, too – because of blackouts in the United Kingdom, Denmark and Italy – the expansion of pumped storage power stations is expected, in order to better stabilize networks.

The single promising hydropower market - India - has long suffered from bureaucracy and lengthy approval processes. With the renewed effort by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd. (NHPC) to make hydro a stable 30% power source, there is optimism spreading in the industry. NHPC just lately announced a 50 000 MW program for hydro alone.

Voith Hydro anticipates that the subsidiary in India which was newly established in 2002 will lead to intensive co-operation with partners in the Indian hydropower industry and has given proof of that already in a couple of projects.

Hirakud contract signing


Khashm El Griba, Sudan