World Energy Resources | 2016

WORLD ENERGY COUNCIL | HYDROPOWER
FIGURE 2: GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION OF FUTURE HYDROPOWER DAMS
(UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR PLANNED)
Source: Zarfl et al. (2014), A global boom in hydropower dam construction
GLOBAL POTENTIAL
There are many opportunities for hydropower development throughout the world and
although there is no clear consensus, estimates indicate the availability of approximately
10,000 TWh/year of unutilised hydropower potential worldwide. TABLE 2 gives an overview
of the major unutilised potential globally. How much of that will be developed is a matter of
market conditions, government policy and the emergence of other competing renewable
options, such as solar PV, wind and biomass. Power pools, increased bilateral trade in
electricity, and new customers demanding green energy can enable further growth in
hydropower.
Various scenarios look at potential future development, with some indicating a potential to
reach up to 2000–2050 GW of installed hydropower capacity by 2050 9 .
9
IEA, IHA
9