The 2015 World Hydropower got under way at the iconic Sunrise Kempinski Hotel at Yanqi Lake, Beijing, China on Tuesday 19 May. Here are some of the best moments from the opening day.

Delegation leaders meet for the Hydropower Consultative Council

On the morning of the opening day, high-level representatives of the congress delegations gathered at Yanqi Hotel State Guest House for the Hydropower Consutative Council. The meeting brought together key figures from government, academia, civil society, finance and industry to discuss strategies for the hydropower sector.

Congress participants gather at Sunrise Kempinski Hotel

Afte the Consultative Council, participants headed to the stunning Kempinski Sunrise Hotel on Yanqi Lake for the World Hydropower Congress opening ceremony. You can read more about the venue here.

IHA president Ken Adams officially opens the congress

IHA president Ken Adams officially opened the congress with a speech to packed hall of delegates, saying that "if we are to meet the challenges of a changing climate and global freshwater management, the contribution of hydropower and the multiple benefits it provides cannot be ignored". You can read more about the opening day speeches here.

Bringing together diverse perspectives to build a common language on hydropower

Over 1,000 representatives of government, civil society, the finance sector, academia and industry gathered in the Grand Ballroom of the Sunrise Kempinski Hotel for the congress.

Wang Lin, president of China Three Gorges Corporation, addresses delegates

The first part of the opening ceremony featured a number of VIP speakers from hydropower organisations and companies in China. Among them was Wang Lin, president of China Three Gorges Corporation. In his speech he told delegates that "Hydropower sustainability is associated with the wellbeing of the whole of society".

Jin-Yong Cai, CEO of IFC, participates in a panel discussion

The second part of the opening ceremonies featured a high-level panel of speakers to discuss international collaboration and hydropower development. The panel included Jin-Yong Cai, president and CEO of the International Finance Corporation. He said: "Middle income and large emerging economies are influencing the development of hydropower worldwide through demonstration effects – by showing how these projects can be managed well to the benefit of their populations."

The welcome banquet begins

On the evening of the opening banquet, delegates headed to the beautiful nearby Temple of Heaven venue for the welcome banquet. Wan Qianzi and Greg Tracz hosted the evening, which featured a number of special awards and live entertainment.

IHA welcomes new members CFE, King & Spalding and K-water

During the welcome banquet, the International Hydropower Association presented three new member companies: King & Spalding and Comisión Federal de Electricidad at the platinum level, and K-water at the gold level. You can see IHA's membership directory here.

Lin Chuxue and Li Jugen receive special awards

IHA president Ken Adams (right) presented special awards to Lin Chuxue (left, China Three Gorges Corporation) and Li Jugen (centre, China Society for Hydropower Engineering) acknowledging their invaluable contribution to the association and to the sector.

The 2015 Mosonyi Award for Excellence in Hydropower is presented

Mr Adams also presented Luiz Gabriel Azevedo (Odebrecht), and Dr Helen Locher (Hydro Tasmania) with the 2015 Mosonyi Award for Excellence in Hydropower. Jean-Étienne Klimpt is also a recipient of the 2015 award, but was not able to attend the ceremony. Read more here.

Sami Khan receives the IHA Young Researcher Award 2015

The final presentation of the night was the IHA Young Researcher Award 2015, which was awarded to Sami Khan of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for his work on hydrophobic rare-earth oxide coatings and their potential application in hydropower systems. You can read Sami's article about the research here.

The 2015 World Hydropower Congress is taking place in 19–21 May in Beijing, China. You can view the full programme here, or read about the topics on the agenda in our blog.