The project step by step

Over a 5-year period, Luminus will conduct studies on fish populations in the river Meuse in order to find sustainable solutions in partnership with the Walloon Region and top scientists..

The first phase in Andenne

On 2 December 2016, the preliminary studies of the Life 4 Fish programme began at the Luminus hydropower plant in Andenne. These studies, whose protocol has been developed by a multidisciplinary team, are aimed at measuring the actual impact of hydropower plants on the downstream migration of two migratory fish species (silver eels and salmon smolts) and at finding sustainable solutions.

To assess the impact, two measures have been put in place: firstly, the survival rate of fish passing through turbines has been measured; secondly, the downstream migration routes of the two fish species have been mapped. Based on these measurement data, sustainable solutions will be implemented in the long term.

Luminus is in charge of all operations, including those carried out at the Andenne hydropower plant in December. It is the first time that studies of this scale are conducted in the Lower Meuse. This is the first phase of field studies conducted over a 5-year period for which Luminus has obtained funding under the European Commission’s Life programme.