In January 2010 Prevalle (Chiese) HPP, owned by A2A, began again its continuous production with an installed capacity of 2.300 kW. The plant was restarted after the refurbishing of the canal and the replacement of groups and penstock.

The gauging station on river Borlezza, scheduled within the experimental project on reserved flow, went into operation in January 2010.

As a result of the starting of group 1 and restarting of group 3 (group 2 was restarted in December 2009) the Palvico HPP, placed in Storo (TN), is back into operation at its full capacity (3500 kVA).

Hydro 2009, international conference on hydropower, will take place in Lyon (France) from the 26^th to the 28^th of October 2009. Arch. Paola Giacopelli and ing. Sergio Mazzoleni by Studio Frosio will present a paper entitled “Lonato SHPP: a successful exploitation of existing heads on an irrigation channel in Northern Italy”.

Eight new projects located in the provinces of Brescia, Mantova, Cremona and Forlì Cesena are being carried out by Studio Frosio; the characteristic of these projects is the power station built beside a river weir, with no diversion channel. Some of the advantages connected with this plant scheme are space-saving structures and the maintenance of the river ecosystem continuity, so that there is no obligation concerning reserved flow.

In August ’09 Predarossa HPP began its continuous production. Works lasted 14 months and faced the winter heavy snowfalls: at the intake area (2.000 m s.l.m.) the snow layer reached a height of 4m and lasted until late May.

The HPP, provided with two identical Pelton turbines, is located in Val Masino (SO), it’s characterized by a rated flow of 1,8 m³/s and a nominal head of 480 m; the installed capacity is 7MW.

Within Klimaenergy 09, the international trade fair on renewable energies that will take place in Bolzano the 24^th, 25^th and 26^th of September 2009, ing. Nino Frosio will present a paper about the hydroelectric potential in Italy.

Within the European project Shapes, on 10^th and 11^th September 2009, took place in Danzig the Small Hydro Research and Development Actors Network Meeting. Studio Frosio took part at the session Performance & Technical state assessment techniques, overhaul and rehabilitation works, chaired by ing. Nino Frosio.

SHAPES’s activities are going on: within Work Package 6 SHP Solutions for Sustainable Development: on 16^th-17^th October 2007 took place in Rorkee, India, a training session for local developers and technicians of SHP plants.

On May 23^rd and 30^th 2008 Ing. Nino Frosio will give a lecture on small hydro power plants at the Department of Engineering at Università degli Studi di Brescia.

At the national conference that will take place in Bardonecchia (TO) from June 19^th to 20^th 2008, ing. Franco Frosio will present a paper entitled “Meccanismi di incentivazione per l’idroelettrico in Italia: la storia, i risultati, le prospettive”.

The traditional biennial meeting about Small Hydro, “HIDROENERGIA ‘08”, will take place in Bled (Slovenia), from June 11^th to 23^th 2008. Studio Frosio will take part in the convention by presenting two papers: “Pontey 1 & 2 cascade plants – Every single drop of water is worth exploiting for SHP production: the long and successful way to implementation”, by ing. Luigi Papetti and “Bessè SHP refurbishment & Dam security: how an expensive imposition could become an opportunity” by ing. Sergio Mazzoleni.

On 22 ^th -23 ^th  October 2007 a didactic seminar took place in Rome at “La Sapienza” university on “Energy production from Medium/Small plants: interaction with the grid and the market”.

Franco Frosio presented a paper on “Mini Hydro in Italy” which can be now downloaded from the Studio Frosio website

From 15 to 17 October the international conference “Hydro 2007: new approaches for a new era” took place in Granada (Spain). “Is the smallest the best?”, the memory presented by Luigi Papetti from Studio Frosio is now available on the Studio Frosio website.

November the 20 th the part of the penstock under the motorway A4 Milano-Venise has been successfully completed. It is a special pipe made in PRFV of big diameter (1.600 mm) installed with a special technique who allowed the realisation of this important part of the penstock without to stop the road traffic in one of the most crowded motorway of Europe.

An article of mr. Paolo Caretti and mr. Nino Frosio has been printed on the November issue of the well known international magazine.

With the removal of the anchoring block V 15 the part of the penstock of Perreres affected by big problems caused by a slope, as been made free.

At the traditional conference organised by ESHA, Studio Frosio will present two papers:

“RESERVED FLOW: FROM AN OBLIGATION TO AN OPPORTUNITY” speaker: Luigi Papetti in the section: “Policy and new opportunities”

“WATERHAMMER PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS IN A LONG PENSTOCK UNDER A SMALL TOWN” speaker: Nino Frosio in the section: “Engineering solutions”

On 26-27^th September DNV - worldwide well known certification body - certificated the Environmental Management System implemented by Studio Frosio according to ISO 14001 standard.