Hydro in Europe: Powering Renewables - Full Report - Eurelectric

Plans (NREAPs), drawn by the member states, set out measures on how to keep up
with the national trajectories.
The role of hydropower in achieving the 2020 RES targets
Figure 20 presents the “reference situation” in 2005 and the EU-27 member state
projections in 2020 according to their NREAPS. In 2005 with an annual generation of
346.8 TWh, hydropower 43 is the largest renewable source in the electricity sector,
representing 71% of all RES electricity. According to projections, in 2020 hydropower
will be the second largest renewable energy source in the electricity sector with 370.3
TWh, and will account for 30% of all RES electricity. Absolute hydropower generation
will therefore increase, although its share will decrease. It should be noted that RES
electricity will represent 42.6% of all RES sectors in 2020 (after RES in heating and
cooling with 45.4%, with the rest for RES in transport).
According to the NREAPs installed hydropower capacity will increase from 115 GW to
135 GW between 2005 and 2020, e.g. an additional 20.5 GW with an associated
additional generation per annum of only 23.5 TWh (i.e. an equivalent load factor of
13% 44 for that extra generation!).
Fig. 20 Projected development of hydropower capacity according to the NREAPs
Source: EDF
43
Values presented exclude generation from pumped storage hydro.
44
This figure highlights that existing hydropower facilities across Europe will have to decrease their generation
output in order to be consistent with other EU Directives (EU WFD for instance).
51