Global hydropower capacity rises slightly to 1,416 GW in 2023

The sector’s power generation dipped due to drought conditions.

Global hydropower capacity slightly increased to reach 1,416 gigawatts (GW) in 2023 from 1,397 GW in the previous year, according to a report by the International Hydropower Association (IHA).

The report said that conventional hydropower capacity increased by 7.2 GW to reach 1,237 GW, “the lowest single-year delivery this century.” The IHA noted that the longer-term average, meanwhile, is relatively stable at around 20 GW per year.

Meanwhile, pumped storage hydropower is continuing an upward trend, increasing by 6.5 GW to 179 GW.

China is the leading market for hydropower at 421 GW, followed by Brazil with 110 GW, the US with 102 GW, Canada with 83 GW, and Russia with 56 GW.

The other top 10 hydropower markets include India with 52 GW, Japan with 50 GW, Norway with 34 GW, Turkey with 33 GW, and France with 26 GW.

On the other hand, power generation from the hydropower sector was down by 223 terawatt-hours (TWh) to 4,185 TWh.

“This reflects drought conditions in some significant hydropower markets, though our expectation is that 2024 will rebound on this, with greater f lows reported in Europe and China in the early part of the year,” the report read.