Hydropower, with its 1,360 GW of global installed capacity and 4,260 TWh/year in 2021, is currently the giant of low-carbon and renewable electricity technologies. In the European Union (EU) the current power capacity is 151 GW, with an average annual generation of 360 TWh/h. The EU hosts 44 GW of pumped hydropower, that is a quarter of the global installed capacity.
A major challenge for the hydropower sector is to pursue energy, climate and environmental targets at the same time. Hydropower is a key player in several EU Directives and programmes, i.e. the WFD, the Flood Directive, the Renewable Energy Directive (REPowerEU) among others. Therefore, sustainable hydropower needs to achieve a good balance between electricity generation, social benefits and impacts on the ecosystem and biodiversity.
Hydropower is a key sector to maintain a competitive EU in the world, especially in light of the current geo-political situation. The multi-services provided by the EU hydropower reservoirs (e.g., water and energy storage, flood control) will enable the increasing penetration of wind and solar generation, while hidden small scale hydropower opportunities in rural contexts and in existing facilities can promote decentralized energy generation and smart grid support and development. The export capacity of the EU hydropower companies, associated to the EU lead position in terms of scientific publications, makes the EU hydropower a very competitive sector in the world.
QUARANTA Emanuele;
GEORGAKAKI Aliki;
LETOUT Simon;
KUOKKANEN Anna;
MOUNTRAKI Aikaterini;
INCE Ela;
SHTJEFNI Drilona;
JOANNY ORDONEZ Geraldine;
EULAERTS Olivier;
GRABOWSKA Marcelina;
Quaranta, E., Georgakaki, A., Letout, S., Kuokkanen, A., Mountraki, A., Ince, E., Shtjefni, D., Joanny Ordonez, G., Eulaerts, O. and Grabowska, M., Clean Energy Technology Observatory: Hydropower and Pumped Hydropower Storage in the European Union – 2022 Status Report on Technology Development, Trends, Value Chains and Markets, EUR 31260 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2022, ISBN 978-92-76-58103-1, doi:10.2760/256255, JRC130587.
2022-11-15
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC130587
978-92-76-58103-1 (online),
1831-9424 (online),
EUR 31260 EN,
OP KJ-NA-31-260-EN-N (online),
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC130587,
10.2760/256255 (online),
