Global hydropower capacity grows 1.97% in 2018

By Zeynep Beyza Kilic

ANKARA (AA) - Global installed hydropower capacity reached 1,292 gigawatts (GW) last year, up by 1.97% year on year, the International Hydropower Association said on Monday.

A total of 48 countries contributed to the rise in hydropower capacity, with China in the lead, according to the 2019 Hydropower Status Report.

China added 8,540 megawatts (MW) of capacity, followed by Brazil and Pakistan with 3,866 MW and 2,487 MW, respectively.

Turkey ranked fourth worldwide with 1,085 MW of new capacity additions. Angola made the top five with 668 MW.

China tops the list of installed hydropower capacity worldwide with 352 GW. Brazil and the U.S. follow with 104 GW and 103 GW, respectively. Canada and Japan made the top five with 81 GW and 50 GW of total installed capacity in 2018.

From the new capacity additions of 21.8 GW, pumped storage capacity increased by 1.9 GW to 160.3 GW.

China, Japan and the U.S. formed the top three countries in pumped storage capacity with 30 GW, 27.6 GW and 22.9 GW, respectively.

"While we are witnessing renewed interest in pumped hydropower as the technology evolves to ensure grid stability, markets around the world have been slow to recognize and reward its value," the report highlights.

In 2018, electricity generation from hydropower reached an estimated 4,200 terawatt-hours. Last year, 15.9% of global electricity was produced by hydropower.