At a glimpse - Hydropower in Europe

Today, hydropower is the best-proven and most-developed form of electricity generation in Europe.

Across the continent some 278 GW of installed hydropower capacity stands ready to supply energy to Europe’s more than 900 million people, its towns and industries.

Europe’s generally well-developed potential for hydropower schemes suggests limited scope for the introduction of new projects. There are exceptions however. In some regions, for economic or other reasons, new pumped storage and small hydro projects are witnessing sustained growth. Nonetheless, right across Europe the bulk of hydropower industry activity is focused on rehabilitation and uprating of the existing fleet. Changing operational requirements, more stringent environmental standards, and the need for prolonged operational life times for a still better return-­on-investment are key points of emphasis today.

Hydropower will continue to be the solid backbone of renewable energy development in Europe – key to the clean energy transition. Flexible, cost-effective, and secure, hydropower is uniquely able to sustainably stabilize the grid and balance variable renewable energy sources like wind and solar. Modern hydropower is building a bridge from the conservative, fossil-driven energy system of the old world and on, to the new carbon-free, zero-emission world of the future – from old to new.

ANDRITZ´contribution to hydropower in Europe

Installed Hydropower Capacity (all countries in alphabetical order)

Albania 2,048 MWAustria 14,130 MW*
Belarus 96 MWBelgium 109 MW
Bosnia & Herzegovina 2,196 MWBulgaria 3,204 MW*
Croatia 2,117 MWCzech Republic 1,093 MW
Denmark 9 MWEstonia 4 MW
Faroe Islands 39,7 MWFinland 3,241 MW
France 25,517 MW*Georgia 3,164 MW
Germany 14,782 MWGreece 3,152 MW
Greenland 91,3 MWHungary 61 MW
Iceland 1,984 MWIreland 534 MW*
Italy 22,838 MW*Kazakhstan 2,456 MW
Latvia 1,564 MWLithuania 1,028 MW*
Luxembourg 34 MWMoldova 64 MW
Montenegro 679 MWNetherlands 38 MW
North Macedonia 676 MWNorway 31,837 MW
Poland 2,328 MW*Portugal 7,193 MW*
Romania 6,761 MWRussia 50,955 MW
Serbia 2,398 MWSlovakia 2,537 MW
Slovenia 1,329 MW*Spain 20,360 MW*
Sweden 16,301 MWSwitzerland 15,295 MW*
Turkey 27,273 MWUkraine 6,229 MW*
United Kingdom 4,775 MW*

*Figure includes pumped storage or all capacity of mixed pumped storage plants Source: IHA, Hydropower & Dams World Atlas 2018

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