“Hydropower is the major renewable electricity generation technology worldwide and will remain so for a long time. Since 2005, new capacity additions in hydropower have generated more electricity than all other renewables combined.”

International Energy Agency (2012)

GENERAL:

Hydro-electricity presents several advantages over most other sources of electrical power, including a

- high Level of reliability,

- proven technology,

- high efficiency,

- very low operating and maintenance costs,

- flexibility and

- large storage capacity.

Hydropower reservoirs can also regulate water flows for freshwater supply, flood control, irrigation, navigation services and recreation. Regulation of water flow may be important to climate change adaptation. Both reservoir and pumped storage hydropower are flexible sources of electricity that can help system operators handle the variability of other renewable energy such as wind power and photovoltaic electricity.

(Picture left: Usage of Hydro Potenial in %)  

In order to achieve ist considerable potential for increasing energy security while reducing reliance on electricity from fossil fuels, hydropower must overcome barriers relative to policy, environment, public acceptance, market design and financial challenges.

Large or small, associated with a reservoir or run-of-river, hydropower projects must be designed and operated to mitigate or compensate impacts on the environment and local populations. The hydropower industry has developed a variety of tools, guidelines and protocols to help developers and operators address the environmental and social issues in a satisfactory manner.

New turbines and design make modern hydropower plants more sustainable and environmentally friendly; better management helps avoid damage to downstream ecosystems.