Türkiye added 241 megawatts (MW) to its hydropower capacity last year, the highest increase in Europe, according to a recent report by the International Hydropower Association (IHA).
Worldwide, hydropower plants are favored over fossil fuels due to their clean energy output, high efficiency, and long lifespan.
Hydropower continues to be the largest source of renewable electricity worldwide, accounting for 14.3% of global power generation and enhancing grid flexibility in over 150 countries.
Installed hydropower capacity reached 1,443 gigawatts (GW) globally last year. Global hydropower capacity grew by 24.6 GW in 2024, including 16.2 GW of conventional hydropower and 8.4 GW of pumped storage hydropower, according to IHA's 2025 World Hydropower Outlook.
Worldwide pumped storage installed capacity reached 189 GW.
Last year, East Asia and the Pacific generated 1,804 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity from hydropower, adding 15 GW of new capacity, including 8 GW from pumped storage. Total capacity reached 577 GW.
Africa generated 167 TWh of electricity from hydropower, adding 4,507 MW of new capacity—including 349 MW from pumped storage—bringing total installed capacity to 47 GW, with 3,726 MW from pumped storage systems.
Europe generated 680 TWh of electricity from hydropower, adding 544 MW of new capacity—including 187 MW from pumped storage—bringing total installed capacity to 263 GW, with 56 MW from pumped storage systems.
- Türkiye retains its top spot
Türkiye added 241 MW of capacity last year—the highest in Europe—keeping its top spot in 2024.
Türkiye is focused on reducing its reliance on foreign energy sources by meeting demand through domestic resources. Investments in hydropower align with the country's climate commitments, while expanding the share of renewables.
Opportunities remain in Türkiye to develop new conventional hydropower projects and expand existing facilities. The government has made hydropower a central pillar of its energy policy over the past two decades, providing substantial support for the development of new facilities.
The country has a strong pipeline of conventional hydropower projects, with nearly 600 MW currently under construction.
Other European countries in the top 5 included Portugal, Austria, Germany, and Norway. Portugal added 160 MW of hydropower last year, followed by Austria and Germany with 118 MW and 63 MW, respectively. Norway increased its hydropower capacity by 53 MW in 2024.
- China has largest hydropower installed capacity
In Europe, Norway has the largest hydropower installed capacity at 34 GW, and Türkiye ranks second with 33 GW.
China has 421 GW of installed capacity as of 2024, the largest capacity in the world.
Brazil ranks second worldwide with an installed capacity of 110 GW, while the US is third with 102 GW.
Canada, Russia, India, Japan, Norway, Türkiye and Vietnam follow these countries in global installed capacity rankings.
Last year, 4,578 TWh of electricity was produced from hydropower plants around the world.
The highest generation occurred in the South America region with 725 TWh followed by Europe with 680 TWh and North and Central American countries with 637 TWh.
By Humeyra Ayaz
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr