International Centre For Hydropower
International Centre for Hydropower is a Trondheim-based non-profit that delivers professional training, capacity building, and advocacy for hydropower professionals, utilities, and regulators across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, funded by Norad, course fees, and memberships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersTrondheim, Norway
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What International Centre For Hydropower does
International Centre for Hydropower (ICH) is a Norwegian non-profit organization headquartered in Trondheim that delivers professional training, capacity building, and advocacy services for the global hydropower sector. Founded around 1996 and operating for approximately 30 years, ICH runs instructor-led courses spanning dam safety, reservoir sediment management, environmental and social impact assessment, financial modeling, power market integration, and gender mainstreaming, delivered through in-person regional training weeks across Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean, supported by an e-learning platform and an online application portal.
The organization serves hydropower industry professionals, national utilities, power pools, regulatory bodies, and senior energy sector decision-makers in developing and emerging markets. Its curriculum combines technical, environmental, financial, and social modules and incorporates applied tools such as PyPSA for power market modeling exercises. Delivery is structured around application-based enrollment, certification outcomes, and recurring cohorts, with a parallel membership program for ongoing access to courses, resources, and the alumni network.
ICH is funded through a combination of participant course fees, membership dues, and direct framework support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). It maintains strategic co-development relationships with multilateral and regional institutions including IFC, IDB Invest, SAPP, IPPAN, SALTO GRANDE Binacional, and ORSEP, which provide distribution, host facilities, and technical expertise in target regions. The 2026 launch of the Global Capacity Building Framework signals a shift toward an executive-level, asset-integrity-oriented program structure layered on top of the existing course portfolio.
International Centre For Hydropower firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- International Centre For Hydropower
- Legal name
- International Centre for Hydropower
- Website
- https://ich.no
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- International Centre for Hydropower is a Trondheim-based non-profit that delivers professional training, capacity building, and advocacy for hydropower professionals, utilities, and regulators across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, funded by Norad, course fees, and memberships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
International Centre For Hydropower industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Training Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Engineering Services (541330), Technical and Trade Schools (61151)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hydropower Project Development & Permitting (Greenfield, Licensing, Water Rights) (EUAMADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD), Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management (BPADALAH), EMS Training & Competency Development (EUAHAIAH)
Keywords
Where International Centre For Hydropower is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Trondheim
- HQ country
- Norway
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
International Centre For Hydropower business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Training Course Fees: Revenue generated from participant fees for training courses, workshops, and certification programs in hydropower-related topics including dam safety, environmental management, financial modeling, and power market integration
- Membership Fees: Annual membership program providing access to training courses, resources, and network benefits for hydropower professionals and organizations
- Norad Framework Support: Supported directly by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) framework for international development activities
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
International Centre For Hydropower product offering
Product offeringCore offering
International Centre for Hydropower (ICH) delivers professional training courses and capacity-building programs for the global hydropower industry, covering dam safety, reservoir sediment management, hydropower project management, environmental and social impact assessment, financial modeling and PPA structuring, power market modeling, and gender and inclusion. Programs are delivered through in-person courses across Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean, supported by an online e-learning platform, webinars, and the Global Capacity Building Framework.
Product overview
The International Centre for Hydropower (ICH) offers a portfolio of professional training and capacity building programs for the hydropower and renewable energy industry. The core offerings consist of instructor-led training courses covering technical topics (dam safety, reservoir sediment management, hydropower project management, turbine and headworks design), financial topics (financial modeling, PPA structuring, revenue protection), environmental and social management (environmental impact assessment, social impact assessment, resettlement management), and specialized programs (gender and inclusion, energy transition, power market modeling). These courses are delivered through in-person training events across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, supported by an e-learning platform. ICH's training approach combines applied learning with case studies, hands-on exercises using tools like PyPSA for power market modeling, and global networking opportunities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ICH Training Courses Portfolio Professional training programs covering hydropower development, project management, dam safety, financial modeling, environmental management, and sector-specific topics, delivered through in-person and virtual formats across Africa, Asia, and Latin America for hydropower professionals.
- ICH E-Learning Platform Online portal providing access to ICH training programs, course materials, and application management for professional development in hydropower and renewable energy sectors.
- ICH Webinar Series Virtual presentations covering the ICH course portfolio, including regional program overviews for Africa, Asia, and Latin America, used as a lead-generation and awareness channel for training programs.
- ICH Membership Program Annual membership offering access to ICH training courses, knowledge resources, and the global hydropower professional network for individuals and organizations in the sector.
Quantifiable outcome
- African reservoirs losing 0.5-3% of storage capacity annually - effective sediment management training addresses this critical challenge
Companies that use International Centre For Hydropower
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
International Centre For Hydropower technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
International Centre For Hydropower partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- IDB InvestcoreStrategic alliance with IDB Invest for Energy Transition III program in Latin America and the Caribbean. IDB Invest supports ICH's capacity building efforts for energy transition in the LAC region.
- SALTO GRANDE BinacionalcoreSALTO GRANDE Binacional (Argentina/Uruguay) partners with ICH for the Rehabilitation and Modernization of Dams Module II Technical Tour, providing the facility for hands-on training study tours.
- IFC (International Finance Corporation)coreCollaboration through IFC's 'Powered by Women Initiative' for gender mainstreaming in hydropower. ICH and IFC work together to integrate gender concepts into courses and amplify regional positive impacts in Nepal and beyond.
- SAPP (Southern African Power Pool)coreSAPP collaborates with ICH on the Regional Power Trade Program, providing structured content on market evolution, deregulation, and renewable energy integration for Southern African Power Pool member countries.
- Bredesen ConsultingminorCollaborating partner for the Regional Power Trade Program - Navigating Power Market Evolution in Southern Africa, contributing expertise in market integration and power sector consulting.
- IPPAN (Independent Power Producers Association Nepal)coreIPPAN cooperates with ICH on hydropower financing and risk management courses in Nepal, combining private sector and training expertise for Nepalese hydropower development.
- Kathmandu University / Turbine Testing LabminorPartnership with Kathmandu University's Turbine Testing Lab for hydropower financing and risk training programs, bringing academic and testing facility expertise to professional training.
- Nepal Tunnelling AssociationminorAssociation partner for planning and design of hydropower tunnels in Himalayan geology workshop, contributing technical expertise on tunnelling challenges in the region.
- Hydro Lab NepalminorPartner with Hydro Lab Nepal for hydropower-related workshops and training, combining laboratory and research capabilities with professional training programs.
- SN Aboitiz PowerminorStrategic partner for Energy Security and Energy Transition Asia edition 2024 in Philippines, bringing private sector hydropower expertise to regional training.
- ORSEP (Organismo Regulador de Seguridad de Presas)minorStrategic partner in LAC region for dam safety and rehabilitation training, contributing regulatory and technical expertise from Argentina's dam safety regulator.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
International Centre For Hydropower competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Global Water Partnership: GWP is an international network promoting integrated water resources management, with similar non-profit, donor-supported model delivering training and advocacy to water professionals in developing regions.
- Stockholm International Water Institute: SIWI is a non-profit water policy institute that convenes World Water Week and runs capacity programs for water resource management. It is comparable to ICH in non-profit, international, training-and-advocacy model focused on water-adjacent infrastructure.
- UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education: UNESCO-IHE is a Dutch-based institute delivering postgraduate water education and capacity building globally. It is highly comparable to ICH in its non-profit, donor-supported training model targeting water and infrastructure professionals in developing regions.
- International Water Management Institute: IWMI is a CGIAR research-for-development institute working on water and land resources, delivering capacity building, research, and policy advisory across developing regions. It shares ICH's non-profit, donor-funded, training-and-knowledge-sharing model in the water/energy nexus.
- International Hydropower Association: IHA is the global trade association for sustainable hydropower, offering sector advocacy, certification (Hydropower Sustainability Standard), and professional development. It is the most direct peer to ICH in mission and audience of hydropower professionals and institutions.
Broad incumbents
- International Renewable Energy Agency: IRENA is the intergovernmental body supporting renewable energy adoption globally, with capacity-building programs spanning hydropower, solar, wind, and storage. It overlaps with ICH on hydropower policy and training but serves a much broader renewable portfolio.
- UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization): UNIDO provides industrial capacity building including for renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure in developing economies. It shares ICH's international, donor-funded training and standards-raising mandate, but across a much wider industrial portfolio.
- Asian Development Bank Institute: ADBI delivers capacity building and policy training for officials across Asia-Pacific, including in energy and infrastructure. It is comparable to ICH as a donor-backed training provider for energy sector professionals but at a much broader geographic and topical scope.
- World Bank Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP): ESMAP is a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank that provides technical assistance, analytics, and training for energy sector reform. It overlaps with ICH's training agenda for utilities and regulators in developing countries, but operates at far greater scale.
Regional players
- Hydropower Europe: Hydropower Europe is a European technology platform promoting hydropower research, innovation, and skills development. It is a regional peer comparable to ICH's training and advocacy work, but focused primarily on the European market rather than Africa/Asia/LAC.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
International Centre For Hydropower social profiles
Digital presenceInternational Centre For Hydropower financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
International Centre For Hydropower leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
International Centre For Hydropower funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
International Centre For Hydropower M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about International Centre For Hydropower
What does International Centre For Hydropower do?
International Centre for Hydropower (ICH) delivers professional training courses and capacity-building programs for the global hydropower industry, covering dam safety, reservoir sediment management, hydropower project management, environmental and social impact assessment, financial modeling and PPA structuring, power market modeling, and gender and inclusion. Programs are delivered through in-person courses across Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean, supported by an online e-learning platform, webinars, and the Global Capacity Building Framework.
Is International Centre For Hydropower a public or private company?
International Centre For Hydropower is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was International Centre For Hydropower founded?
International Centre For Hydropower was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is International Centre For Hydropower based?
International Centre For Hydropower is headquartered in Trondheim, Norway, in the Europe region.
How does International Centre For Hydropower make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Training Course Fees are the primary driver. The others are membership Fees and norad Framework Support.
Who are International Centre For Hydropower's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Global Water Partnership, Stockholm International Water Institute, UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, International Water Management Institute and International Hydropower Association. Broad incumbents are International Renewable Energy Agency, UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization), Asian Development Bank Institute and World Bank Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP). Hydropower Europe is listed as a regional player.
Does International Centre For Hydropower have an API?
No public API is recorded for International Centre For Hydropower.
What industry is International Centre For Hydropower in?
International Centre For Hydropower's product category is Professional Training Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMADAA, Hydropower Project Development & Permitting (Greenfield, Licensing, Water Rights), with a secondary code of BPAHAIAD, Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting. Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8711.