Hydropower is one of the oldest energy technologies that dates thousands of years ago and that lasts until today. It is the largest renewable technology with 1,360 GW of installed capacity around the world. In addition, as a flexible energy source allows the integration of other sources such as wind and solar power, ensuring grid stability. For this reason, hydropower is well-suited to play a key role in the European decarbonisation that will lead to the consecution of the renewable energy targets set by the European Commission in the Renewable Energy Directive.

The report is part of the results of the Clean Energy Technology Observatory (CETO), implemented by the Joint Research Centre in coordinarion with DG Energy, which will serve as a basis for future policies of the sector. It confirms the leading position of the European Union in hydropower, being the host of more than a quarter of the global pumped hydropower storage capacity. It also emphasizes the role of research and development to unveil hidden opportunities to increase the capacity and flexibility, especially integrating other verticals such as climate change and environment mitigation and adaptation measures and interweave it with digitalisation. Prof. Anton Schleiss, project coordinator of HYDROPOWER EUROPE and ETIP HYDROPOWER, contributed to and reviewed this publication that was authored by  Emanuele QUARANTA, Aliki GEORGAKAKI, Simon LETOUT, Anna KUOKKANEN, Aikaterini MOUNTRAKI, Ela INCE, Drilona 
SHTJEFNI, Geraldine JOANNY ORDONEZ, Olivier EULAERTS and Marcelina GRABOWSKA.

The report, published on November 2022, will be updated this year. We invite you to send us any updates or suggestions for the revised version until the end of June 2023 latest to: info@etip-hydropower.eu. We will then transmit all updates und suggestions to the leading author.

Read the complete report on the official website of the SET Plan Information System (SETIS) HERE.