Training designed by Operators for Operators
Equipping professionals with essential knowledge to enhance safety, efficiency, and sustainability in hydropower operations.
Why this training program?
Hydropower Asset Managers and Operators often work in environments with lean resources, inconsistent knowledge transfer, and reliance on small, multi-skilled teams. These challenges are intensified by the retirement of experienced professionals and the growing need to align operations with modern tools and practices.
This program is designed to address these realities, equipping participants with practical skills, proven strategies, and the latest tools to thrive in the evolving hydropower industry. It empowers professionals to drive operational excellence, enhance team collaboration, and adapt to industry advancements.
The Challenges:
- Limited Training Opportunities: Most professionals receive training during hiring or commissioning phases, leaving gaps in ongoing development.
- Knowledge Gaps: Retirements and limited documentation of best practices lead to the loss of critical institutional knowledge.
- Keeping Up with Advancements: Adapting to modern maintenance strategies, diagnostic tools, O&M models, and digitization techniques is essential for improving efficiency, safety, and sustainability.
Program Objectives:
- Equip Professionals with Practical Skills: Provide targeted training in asset management, maintenance, diagnostics, safety, and data-driven decision-making.
- Foster Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing: Build a network of peers to exchange best practices and solutions for operational challenges.
- Introduce Modern O&M Practices: Cover advanced tools, technologies, and models to enhance performance and sustainability.
- Support Strategic Decision-Making: Develop business cases for operational investments that align with organizational goals and industry best practices.
By addressing these critical areas, this program equips participants with the tools and confidence to navigate industry challenges, foster resilience, and deliver sustainable value to hydropower operations.
What is Hydropower O&M Essentials Training Program?
The Hydropower O&M Essentials Training Program was originally designed as a three-day, 10+ hour interactive course tailored for professionals in the hydropower industry. However, we heard directly from operators and asset managers that finding time for a full-day training can be difficult.
That’s why we now offer the self-paced version on the Thinkific e-learning platform — the same high-quality content, but designed for flexibility. Participants can learn at their own pace, revisit lessons anytime, and fit the training into their busy schedules without compromising on depth or impact.
This program serves as both a refresher for seasoned operators, maintainers, engineers, and asset managers, and as a foundational program for those new to hydropower roles. Delivered in an engaging online format, the program fosters collaboration, practical learning, and accessibility across different time zones.
Focus Areas:
1. Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) Compliance
- Awareness-level safety practices, including electrical safety, confined spaces, fall arrest, and public safety around dams.
- Environmental stewardship with topics like flow ramping, aquatic habitat protection, and oil spill prevention.
- Best practices for health and safety plans, incorporating lockout/tag-out (LOTO) procedures, arc flash awareness, and incident management.
2. Hydropower Fundamentals and Organizational Design
- Key principles of hydropower generation, watershed management, and facility types.
- The role of hydropower in balancing renewables and ensuring grid stability.
- Building resilient, multi-skilled teams and aligning O&M structures with organizational goals.
3. Maintenance Strategies and CAPEX Planning
- Transitioning from reactive to predictive maintenance through advanced diagnostic tools.
- Developing maintenance plans and CAPEX priorities to optimize reliability and reduce costs.
- Strategic frameworks for long-term sustainability and lifecycle management.
4. Budgeting and Financial Planning
- Differentiating between OPEX and CAPEX for operational efficiency.
- Business case preparation for repair vs. replace decisions.
- Prioritizing financial resources with long-term and annual CAPEX models.
5. Data and Information Management
- Leveraging SCADA, CMMS, and dashboards to optimize performance.
- Centralized data management for compliance and streamlined operations.
- Training in data-driven tools for better decision-making and operational insights.
6. Asset Management Principles
- Industry leading - ISO 55000-aligned strategies for optimizing performance and value creation.
- Balancing cost, risk, and performance for sustainable asset management.
- Aligning maintenance and operational practices with organizational objectives.
Course Participants
Organizations Across Canada and Internationally Who’ve Taken Part
- Atlin Hydro Expansion Project | Tlingit Homeland Energy Limited Partnership (THELP) – British Columbia, Canada
- Barkley Project Group – British Columbia, Canada
- Biigtigong Dbenjgan Energy – Pic River First Nation – Ontario, Canada
- CC&L Infrastructure | Regional Power Group – Ontario, Canada
- Développement PEK (PEK Global), a 100% community-based Indigenous organization – Quebec, Canada
- First Light Energy (formerly H2O Power) – Ontario, Canada
- Peterborough Utilities – Ontario, Canada
- Urja Developers Pvt. Ltd. – Kathmandu, Nepal
Développement PEK (PEK Global), Canada
“The training exceeded our expectations, providing both strategic insights and practical tools to tackle operational challenges. We are confident this will drive sustainable improvements in our projects.” (Pek Global)
Urja Developers Pvt. Ltd. Nepal
"We express our sincere appreciation for the meticulous organization and facilitation of the Hydropower O&M Training. The knowledge and tools provided have significantly enhanced our operational capabilities.”
(Urja Hydropower Developers)