Spotlight on the Fastest Growing Renewables: Hydropower

The most recent report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) shows that the renewable revolution is continuing apace. Last year, 171GW of renewable generating capacity was added to the grid, meaning that the overall capacity from sustainable sources has reached 2,351GW. That’s roughly equivalent to a third of all electricity generating capacity in the world.

Hydropower continues to be the biggest contributor to renewable capacity. Despite significantly slowed growth in recent years, hydro still accounts for approximately half of all renewable capacity, making it crucial in achieving reduced greenhouse gas emissions targets in the coming years. Having said that, both solar and wind power have shown impressive growth over the last decade and are expected to continue at a similar rate of expansion in the coming one. Nonetheless, the International Energy Agency (IEA) still expects hydro to be the biggest supplier of renewable energy by 2024, the end of its next forecast cycle.[Readmore]