Global installed hydropower capacity could double by 2050

Installed hydropower capacity could double by 2050 and play a key role in supporting the introduction of more variable renewable power, global industry organisation the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) states in its ‘The Changing Role of Hydropower: Challenges and Opportunities’ report. Hydropower plants offer a range of services to the grid that include balancing and ancillary services, while also enjoying a high capacity factor relative to some other renewable energy sources. These are becoming increasingly important in the context of the energy transition and climate change, the agency states.