Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The idea of a museum dedicated to hydropower emerged in 1973, during the modernization of Alpine power plants. In the face of the risk of the disappearance of historical material, EDF is saving 150 tons of machines and equipment to witness the beginnings of this industry. This project took shape in the 1980s with the construction of the Grand-Maison power plant, pushing EDF to create an interpretation centre: Hydrelec. Inaugurated in 1988 after work started in 1985, the museum settles on a promontory offering panoramic views of the hydroelectric site.

From its opening, Hydrelec became the Conservatoire des Industries Hydro-électriques, enriching its collections with donations from museums (such as Maison Ampère or Musée des Arts et Métiers) and specialized companies (Neyrpic, Merlin Gerin). Recognized by the Ministry of Culture, the institution obtained the label Musée de France in 2005, when its management was entrusted to the Association pour le Développement du Musée EDF Hydrélech (ADMH), composed of cultural actors, local elected officials and EDF agents. The museum, owned by EDF, is modernising in 2014 to reach a wider audience, with renewed exhibitions and educational activities.

The collections, covering from the 19th century to the 1990s, illustrate all stages of hydroelectric production: turbines, alternators, forced pipelines, or measuring instruments such as voltmeters. Highlights include the Clarke Electromagnetic Machine (1835) and a Pelton Turbine Wheel (1990s). The documentary library also includes rare archives, including a book by Belidor on the Hydraulic Architecture (1737) and photographic albums from alpine shipyards. A power station of the 1920s-1930s was even reconstituted, with a sound and light spectacle evoking the coupling of machines to the network.

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