16.8% of global electricity is generated from Hydropower
What is Hydropower?
Hydropower is power derived from the energy of falling or fast-running water. The moving water is used to turn a turbine, which turns a generator which makes electricity. Most hydropower is made with dams that block a river.
Is Hydropower a low-carbon energy source?
Yes, due to its relatively low lifecycle emissions, Hydropower is considered to be a low-carbon energy source.
The median estimate of lifecycle emissions from Hydropower is 24 gCO2eq / kWh. This is based on the Technology-specific Cost and Performance Parameters report from the IPCC.
| Wind | 11 gCO2eq / kWh | Low-carbon |
| Nuclear | 12 gCO2eq / kWh | Low-carbon |
| Hydropower | 24 gCO2eq / kWh | Low-carbon |
| Geothermal | 38 gCO2eq / kWh | Low-carbon |
| Solar | 45 gCO2eq / kWh | Low-carbon |
| Biofuels | 230 gCO2eq / kWh | Low-carbon |
| Gas | 490 gCO2eq / kWh | High-carbon / fossil fuel |
| Oil | 650 gCO2eq / kWh | High-carbon / fossil fuel |
| Coal | 820 gCO2eq / kWh | High-carbon / fossil fuel |
Hydropower compared to other low-carbon energy electricity sources
Most significant producers of electricity from Hydropower
| {{ rd.regionname }} | {{ rd.value }}% |
Significant changes of low-carbon power due to Hydropower
| Region | Years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Sierra Leone | 2006 → 2011 | 10.3 → 100% |
| Congo - Brazzaville | 1997 → 1999 | 92.4 → 32% |
| Mozambique | 1996 → 1998 | 41.5 → 99.6% |
| Rwanda | 1997 → 2006 | 95.2 → 17.6% |
| Uruguay | 2003 → 2006 | 99.9 → 42.6% |
| Lesotho | 1999 → 2004 | 38.5 → 100% |
| Central African Republic | 2004 → 2005 | 100 → 50% |
| Tanzania | 2003 → 2006 | 94.2 → 41% |
| Togo | 1993 → 2001 | 73.7 → 9.2% |
| Haiti | 1994 → 1997 | 82.9 → 33.1% |
| Sudan | 2008 → 2013 | 29.6 → 84% |
| Suriname | 2009 → 2015 | 76.8 → 23.6% |
| Sri Lanka | 1995 → 2002 | 92.7 → 38.2% |
| Belize | 2005 → 2010 | 20 → 67.1% |
| Albania | 2014 → 2016 | 60.7 → 100% |
| Mali | 1990 → 1997 | 100 → 50% |
| Latvia | 1996 → 1998 | 29.3 → 68.2% |
| Namibia | 1991 → 1997 | 76.1 → 31.7% |
| Cambodia | 2011 → 2018 | 2.8 → 49.2% |
| Burundi | 1996 → 2004 | 90.9 → 42.5% |
| Myanmar (Burma) | 1999 → 2009 | 22.4 → 75.5% |
| Kenya | 1996 → 2000 | 87.6 → 48.9% |
| Montenegro | 2011 → 2013 | 28.6 → 63.5% |
| Fiji | 2002 → 2005 | 85.7 → 50% |
| Zimbabwe | 1998 → 2008 | 16.7 → 66.2% |
| Uruguay | 2008 → 2014 | 55.3 → 94.8% |
| Papua New Guinea | 1994 → 1995 | 29.4 → 60% |
| Montenegro | 2017 → 2019 | 31.1 → 63% |
| Nicaragua | 1993 → 2000 | 57 → 16.7% |
| Portugal | 2005 → 2014 | 15.6 → 59.9% |
| Lesotho | 2013 → 2019 | 92.6 → 54.8% |
| Ghana | 1996 → 2007 | 100 → 52% |
| Haiti | 2006 → 2011 | 47.5 → 12.3% |
| Croatia | 1990 → 1996 | 25 → 61.2% |
| Mauritania | 2011 → 2019 | 12.5 → 52.4% |
| Equatorial Guinea | 2011 → 2016 | 4.1 → 38.1% |
| Uganda | 2004 → 2010 | 99.9 → 64.3% |
| Panama | 1996 → 1998 | 78.5 → 49.8% |
| Honduras | 2014 → 2019 | 38.7 → 71.5% |
| Greenland | 2008 → 2013 | 50.5 → 83.1% |
| Equatorial Guinea | 2002 → 2010 | 41.9 → 4.6% |
| Croatia | 2012 → 2014 | 29.8 → 57.4% |
| Sri Lanka | 2013 → 2017 | 59.9 → 29.8% |
| Latvia | 2016 → 2017 | 46.7 → 72.5% |
| Faroe Islands | 2010 → 2015 | 30.1 → 61.4% |
| Ecuador | 2014 → 2019 | 47.6 → 78.9% |
| Angola | 1995 → 2000 | 93.8 → 63.1% |
| Tanzania | 2008 → 2013 | 59.8 → 29.8% |
| Rwanda | 2007 → 2015 | 18.1 → 50.9% |
| Uganda | 2011 → 2016 | 66.7 → 95% |
| French Guiana | 2006 → 2016 | 90.5 → 54.7% |
| Angola | 2015 → 2019 | 54.8 → 81.1% |
| Panama | 2014 → 2019 | 55.2 → 82.1% |
| Zimbabwe | 2009 → 2016 | 64.4 → 35.1% |
| Georgia | 2006 → 2010 | 67.2 → 92.5% |
| São Tomé & Príncipe | 2000 → 2005 | 35.7 → 10.3% |
| Nicaragua | 2007 → 2014 | 26.3 → 53.9% |
| Armenia | 2001 → 2009 | 51.4 → 79.7% |
| Malawi | 1992 → 1993 | 100 → 80% |
| Madagascar | 1994 → 1997 | 50 → 71.4% |
| Turkey | 2014 → 2019 | 20.5 → 43.5% |
| North Macedonia | 2008 → 2010 | 9.3 → 28% |
| Samoa | 2010 → 2014 | 45.8 → 25.3% |
| Iraq | 2004 → 2005 | 1.5 → 19% |
| Guatemala | 2003 → 2012 | 41 → 66.3% |
| Gabon | 2002 → 2014 | 62.8 → 33.8% |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | 2010 → 2017 | 46.9 → 24.4% |
| Fiji | 2012 → 2015 | 68.5 → 50.3% |
| Romania | 2003 → 2014 | 32.9 → 59.8% |
| Togo | 2016 → 2018 | 17.5 → 0.4% |
| New Zealand | 1995 → 2001 | 83.9 → 63.6% |
| Dominica | 2018 → 2019 | 39.2 → 23.5% |
| Madagascar | 2009 → 2017 | 59.4 → 37.5% |
| Kyrgyzstan | 1991 → 1999 | 64 → 85.9% |
| Portugal | 2017 → 2020 | 40.3 → 57.2% |
| Dominica | 2004 → 2010 | 44.7 → 25.2% |
| Haiti | 2016 → 2019 | 6.5 → 23.4% |
| Sierra Leone | 2012 → 2018 | 50 → 69.2% |
| Armenia | 2010 → 2018 | 77.8 → 56.7% |
| Austria | 2000 → 2003 | 73.1 → 56.6% |
| French Polynesia | 2001 → 2010 | 22.2 → 44.1% |
| Burkina Faso | 1999 → 2011 | 33.3 → 8.7% |
| Papua New Guinea | 2011 → 2018 | 39.3 → 20.2% |
| New Zealand | 2008 → 2016 | 64.3 → 84.2% |
| Costa Rica | 1995 → 2000 | 82.4 → 99.1% |
| Central African Republic | 2010 → 2013 | 84.3 → 99.3% |
| Eswatini | 2014 → 2016 | 32.1 → 17.9% |
| Eswatini | 1999 → 2001 | 18.2 → 32.3% |
| Namibia | 2012 → 2019 | 39.7 → 22.5% |
| New Caledonia | 2008 → 2016 | 27.1 → 9.4% |
| Slovenia | 2007 → 2014 | 59.4 → 76% |
| Austria | 2011 → 2020 | 59.8 → 78.1% |
| Peru | 2016 → 2020 | 50.4 → 64.7% |
| Estonia | 2008 → 2020 | 1.9 → 22.5% |
| El Salvador | 2002 → 2010 | 47.2 → 64.2% |
| Luxembourg | 2018 → 2020 | 22.5 → 10.2% |
| Luxembourg | 2002 → 2010 | 2.4 → 18.5% |
| North Macedonia | 2012 → 2018 | 11.7 → 26.1% |
| São Tomé & Príncipe | 2007 → 2013 | 23.3 → 9% |
| Serbia | 1990 → 1996 | 20.8 → 35.1% |
| Ethiopia | 2008 → 2010 | 88.3 → 99.4% |
| Venezuela | 2008 → 2016 | 72.8 → 58.4% |
| People's Republic of China | 2011 → 2020 | 18.8 → 33.8% |
| St. Vincent & Grenadines | 2000 → 2014 | 27.8 → 9.2% |
| El Salvador | 2011 → 2015 | 61.7 → 50.8% |
| Uzbekistan | 2000 → 2005 | 7.3 → 18.7% |
| Costa Rica | 2014 → 2020 | 88.1 → 99.8% |
| Sweden | 2003 → 2008 | 85 → 96.1% |
| Malawi | 1996 → 2005 | 80 → 93.3% |
| Mauritius | 1992 → 1999 | 32.7 → 20.8% |
| North Macedonia | 1993 → 1999 | 9 → 20.2% |
| Venezuela | 1990 → 1999 | 62.3 → 75.2% |
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