Türkiye leads Europe in hydropower capacity expansion in 2024

ISTANBUL

Turkey emerged as Europe's leader in hydropower capacity growth in 2024, according to recent energy sector data.

The country added 241 megawatts of new hydropower capacity over the past year, marking the largest increase among European nations, according to the latest edition of the International Hydropower Association’s (IHA) flagship annual report ‘The World Hydropower Outlook.’

The latest figures underscore Türkiye’s commitment to expanding renewable energy sources and reducing its carbon footprint, with hydropower continuing to play a pivotal role in its energy strategy.

Türkiye was followed by Portugal with 160 megawatts, Austria with 118 megawatts, Germany with 63 megawatts and Norway with 53 megawatts in capacity expansion, according to newly released data.

Türkiye also ranked second in Europe in terms of total installed hydropower capacity after Norway.

Last year Türkiye’s installed hydropower capacity reached 32,770 megawatts, while Norway’s installed capacity stood at 33,909 megawatts, showed the report.

Opportunities remain in Türkiye to develop new conventional hydropower projects and expand existing facilities, said the report.

The Turkish government has made hydropower a central pillar of its energy policy during the past two decades, providing substantial support for the development of new facilities, it added.

A robust pipeline of conventional hydropower projects is progressing in the country, with nearly 600MW currently under construction, the report noted.

Hydropower accounted for 21.5 percent of the electricity generation in Türkiye last year, according to data from the Turkish Energy Ministry.

There was a total of 771 hydraulic electricity generation plants in Türkiye as of end May 2025.

Other countries in Europe’s top 10 list of installed hydropower capacity included Spain, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Portugal, France, Germany and Sweden, said the IHA’s report.

Global hydropower capacity grew by 24.6GW in 2024, including 16.2GW of conventional hydropower and 8.4GW of pumped storage hydropower, said the report.

Hydropower remains the world’s largest source of renewable electricity, supplying 14.3 percent of global power and supporting power system flexibility in more than 150 countries.

China continues to dominate global hydropower development, with 14.4GW of new capacity added in 2024, it noted.

On a global scale, China also remains the world’s leader in hydropower capacity, boasting an installed capacity of 421 gigawatts. It is followed by Brazil with 110 gigawatts and the United States with 102 gigawatts.