As hydropower development continues along rivers around the world, helping migratory fish to come back to their natural environments has become urgent. Fortum\FishHeart partnered to bring a technological innovation, which main objective is to provide migratory fish access to their natural spawning grounds. This innovative project restores biodiversity and helps support local fishing communities, solving a 200-year-old challenge, allowing fish to pass by across dams and move up the river stream.

Hydropower is by far the largest renewable worldwide, producing over twice as much energy as wind, and over four times as much as solar. Sadly, rivers and other ecosystems that provide essential habitats to freshwater fish are under increasing pressure from global hydropower development. While dams can provide flood protection, energy supply, and water security, they also pose a significant threat to freshwater species.

Dams block fish from moving along their natural pathways between feeding and spawning grounds, causing interruptions in their life cycles that limit their abilities to reproduce. To successfully allow migratory fish to pass by the dam, it was necessary to recognize and differentiate the species that are migratory from the ones that are not. By restoring the ecosystems affected by human alteration, Fortum + FishHeart created a sustainable solution to preserve the European migratory fish and help fishing communities at the same time.

IDEA: A floating hydraulic fishway that enables fish to migrate to spawn past dams. To successfully allow migratory fish to pass by the dam, it was necessary to recognize and differentiate the species that are migratory from the ones that are not.

PURPOSE: The main target audience of the campaign focused on PR was the general public, positioning Fortum as a company where people, businesses, and nature live together. By restoring the ecosystems affected by human alteration, Fortum + FishHeart created a sustainable solution to preserve the European migratory fish and help fishing communities at the same time.

Floating Platform Development

Jan 2022

Leppikoski Hydropower Plant equipped with the Floating Platform

30/08/2022

Launch of Social Media Campaign on Facebook, Instagram

01/07/2023

BBC Documentary

BBC, YouTube

05/09/2023

THIS IS HOW IT WORKS:

1. Attraction Flow: The device produces an additional attraction flow that helps fish find their way up the river.

2. Smart Detection: AI detects fish and collects real-time data and photos of the migration.

3. Elevation: In the tube, fish are propelled upstream over the hydropower plant unharmed, even longer distances and steep ascents.

A smart detection process collects the migration data in real-time. If the specimen does not belong to migratory species, the tunnel sends the fish back. If the specimen is a migratory fish, the underwater tunnel propels it safely and unharmed, to the other side of the dam.

Over 13,300 fish are transferred per year.

22 species preserved in Finland.

Giving a second chance for Oulujärvi lake trout, an endangered species.

To be adopted in 20 countries in 2024.

Patent active in 16 countries, patent I process in 38 more countries.

US Department of Energy grants 1,3 million USD in funding for FishHeart.

The Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE) is conducting a study on the size of the lake trout population that is migrating upstream towards the power plant and the effectiveness of the water highway.

Restoration of the habitats and breeding grounds of the lake trout across the Seitenoikea hydropower plant located upstream of the Leppikoski power plant.