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New Energy World
New Energy World embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low carbon technologies.
Restoring Europe’s hydropower infrastructure
11/1/2023
6 min read
Supplying 17% of the world’s electricity in 2020, hydropower is a leading source of renewable energy. However, much of the infrastructure in Europe is now decades old. Here, Pascal Radue, CEO of General Electric Hydro Solutions, explains why modernising ageing hydropower infrastructure is crucial for the energy transition.
Compared to intermittent renewables such as solar and wind, hydropower is currently somewhat overlooked in the conversation about green energy.
Nevertheless, it is still a power source with a long and considerable track record and will be a necessary component in realising the common goal of net zero emissions. The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that hydropower capacity will need to double by 2050 to achieve the target of limiting global temperature rises to 1.5°C.
Hydropower is unusual among renewable energy sources as it is not intermittent. Instead, it provides a steady, consistent source of power that can easily be handled by electricity grids. Crucially, it is not dependent on weather conditions like those that affect solar and wind power. Overall, hydropower accounts for 60% of the world’s renewable energy production. Yet despite its reliability, it is deemed the ‘forgotten giant’ of renewables.