Overview

The European Small Hydropower Association (ESHA) is a lobby organisation promoting the interest of small hydropower in Europe and globally. ESHA was established in 1989 and is a founding member of EREC (European Renewable Energy Council). ESHA is ideally located with other renewable energy sources (RES) Associations in the Renewable Energy House in Brussels just a block away from the European institutions.

ESHA wants to use synergies at the European, national and local level in order to develop the small hydropower sector. ESHA serves to create a platform for actors in the field of SHP and to represent their interests at European level. ESHA is structured as a federation of EU national hydropower associations and is open to members from all sectors involved in small hydropower, i.e. equipment manufacturers, public utilities, independent producers, research institutions, investors, industry and consultants. Through the diversity of its members, ESHA is at the forefront of information on ongoing research and market trends regarding small hydropower. ESHA leaflet

ESHA has as its goal to raise the awareness and the interests of the small hydropower sector at European level in order to

• Guarantee the representation of the sector at EU level
• Improve the market conditions of the SHP industry
• Increase the electricity production from SHP
• Remove any barrier to further SHP development in the EU

 Structure

ESHA is structured as a federation of EU national hydropower associations and is open to members from all sectors involved in small hydropower, i.e. equipment manufacturers, public utilities, independent producers, consultants, etc. 

Membership types include:

• National Associations Members regrouping SHP actors in their specific countries
• Corporate Members regrouping equipment manufacturers and research institutions
• Sponsor Members
• Individual Members, and
• Associate Members (individuals or corporations from countries outside the EU) 

ESHA unites all these different actors to form a strong platform for the interests of SHP. Through the diversity of its members, ESHA is at the forefront of information on ongoing research and market trends in small hydropower. 

Main activities

• To represent the interest of the European small hydropower sector in the EU by informing and lobbying decision-makers at European institutions, national governments and local authorities on crucial issues facing the small hydropower sector taking into account legal, economic, technical, institutional and environmental aspects;
• Participating actively in various working groups, meetings, workshops and conferences focusing on policy development on renewable energy and in particular hydropower, observer member in 6 different Common Implementation Strategy of the Water Framework Directive working groups such as the Climate Change and Water working group;
• Providing information services to members, e. g.:  reports on current policy developments, newsletter, ESHA website, ESHA Blog to enhance dialogue among different stakeholders.
• Coordinating and participating in European projects such as Shapes, Choice, Hydroaction, Rural-RES and Streammap (more detailed information available at www.esha.be)  
• Carrying out studies (e. g: Layman’s Guidebook on How to Develop a Small Hydro Plant, European Atlas of Small Hydropower Resources, BlueAGE: Blue Energy for a Green Europe, Small Hydropower and Environment, Report on the development of SHP in the European Union);
• Collaborating actively with various organisations such as the European Water Partnership, International Hydropower Association,   Eurelectric, etc.
• Enhancing global co-operation with institutions outside of Europe, such as IN-SHP (International Network on Small Hydropower), based in Hangzhou, China, TERI in India etc
• Organising and promoting conferences and seminars and workshops(e. g.: Hidroenergia conferences every two years).