A successful Feasibility Study by German company EOMAP has attracted key funding from the Enel Group to progress its digital snow modelling solution to Demonstration Project phase. Developed under ESA’s Business Application and Space Solutions programme, SnowPower uses satellite data to provide the hydropower sector with accurate snow information, even in remote mountainous areas.
Detailed and precise information about snow depth (SD) and the volume of water the snow stores (snow water equivalent – SWE) is crucial for operations within the hydropower sector, especially during Spring when the snow melts. However, the retrieval of SD and SWE data in mountainous regions by traditional methods, such as in-situ measurements or expensive Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) overflights, is either limited in scope or time consuming and expensive to execute.
EOMAP’s solution pairs existing localised snow information with advanced satellite-based data to cover wider geographical areas in more detail, more efficiently and at lower cost than ever before. SnowMap records SD information using Sentinel-1 Earth Observation data and feeds this into assimilation software to create an accurate snow model. It also seamlessly generates daily SWE data across extensive mountainous areas at a resolution of 500 metres, which can be merged with existing information for non-mountainous regions to provide comprehensive coverage across entire countries. This key data is displayed via EOMAP’s bespoke app, which provides users with visualisation, exporting and analysis functions to support operational processes across the industry.
SnowPower was supported by Enel Global Energy and Commodity Management and Chief Pricing Officer, which has among its functions the management of exposure of hydroelectric production. Such a project is carried out together with Enel Green Power which manages the large cluster of hydro power plants in the Alpine and Apennine regions. Following the pilot, EOMAP subsequently updated the technology, improving performance levels by 20% and offering increased coverage and enhanced data and algorithm processing.
As part of the Demonstration Project phase, the EOMAP team plans to establish a highly reliable near-real time service, making further enhancements to accuracy and carrying out widespread testing of different meteorological data sets. SnowPower will be piloted more widely across Italy, Finland and Chile, showcasing the added value of the service, before the final service concept and business exploitation plan is implemented, leveraging pilot user feedback to ensure successful market entry.
ESA Technical Officer, Beatrice Barresi, says “SnowPower has shown impressive potential through its Feasibility Study and we look forward to working with EOMAP on the Demonstration Project phase. With ESA’s technical expertise and Enel’s backing, it has the power to transform hydropower operations in years to come. We believe that SnowPower service will play an important role in the green transition of the energy sector, as it will ease the management of hydropower.”
Dr. Fabian von Trentini, innovation manager at EOMAP, said "The collaboration with top experts on snow remote sensing at Snowcap and the Finnish Meteorological Institute is really inspiring and helps us at EOMAP to broaden up our portfolio when it comes to water resource management. The innovative approach developed by Snowcap is a major leap for effective and efficient reservoir management in snow-dominated catchments."
Enel Global Energy and Commodity Management weather teams said, “The knowledge of snowpack and ice thickness is a crucial aspect in Enel business. Enel believes that the latest developments in satellite observations in terms of accuracy and precision could play a key role to enhance the performance of water storage management of hydro power plants. GECM and EGPTG teams are engaged to work with EOMAP to develop new instruments for a more accurate water management as a part of hydro energy transition optimisation.”
Originally developed as part of a consortium with Snowcap and the Finnish Meteorological Institute, SnowPower is poised to transform the management of hydropower plants in mountainous regions, converting satellite data into actionable snow-related information in a simple and effective format for users. The commercial promise shown by EOMAP’s innovative space-based solution is coupled with socioeconomic and sustainability returns: the company’s endeavours will improve the efficiency of hydro energy production, while minimising the impact of floods through improved forecasting, and reducing the carbon footprint through the development of affordable and clean energy.
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