Global hydropower generation is expected to double by 2050

The discussion about renewable energy in the world is mostly focused on wind energy and solar energy. This makes it easy for us to overlook the fact that hydropower is by far the largest contributor to renewable energy.

Recently, the International Energy Agency (IEA) issued a report that hydropower can help emerging economies respond to growing energy demand while reducing billions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

In this report jointly developed with the Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy, the IEA stated that as long as the investment environment is good, by 2050, the global hydropower generation can be doubled, that is, from the current annual output of 1000 GW to 2000. Giva.

Richard Jones, executive deputy director of the IEA, recently said in an energy conference held in Spain: “Hydroelectric power generation is already a very cost-effective technology, but the current hydropower industry is facing severe investment challenges; At the time, a government must create a favorable environment for the development of hydropower."

The IEA said that since 2005, the newly installed capacity of hydropower has exceeded the total of all other renewable energy contributions. Hydropower stations have also been regarded as an effective means of flood control and drought relief by the IEA.

Alberto Melo, Director-General of the Brazilian Electric Energy Research Center, said: “Emerging countries in the emerging economies are developing hydropower projects that increase the Power Supply while also promoting the healthy development of the economy.”

Compared with other renewable energy models, hydropower is superior to its predictability and controllability, as well as its powerful power generation capabilities.

In the report, the IEA also acknowledged the risks involved in the construction of hydropower stations: Regardless of whether they are large or small hydropower projects, they must minimize the impact on the local environment during the design and construction process, and provide reasonable compensation to local residents.

The IEA also emphasized in the report that policy makers must take action to solve the environmental problems existing in the hydropower station. The agency also pointed out that in order to achieve the goal of doubling the global hydropower generation, we must also address the issue of public acceptance.

In 2010, the installed capacity of hydropower in the United States accounted for about 6.9% of the country's electricity production capacity. This ratio rose to 7.8% in 2011. In April this year, a study published by the U.S. Department of Energy explored the potential of the United States for water power. The report found that the U.S. undeveloped hydropower potential is equivalent to 15% of the U.S. current hydropower installed capacity.

For this report, some environmentalists pointed out that IEA is overly optimistic about the development of hydropower, because hydropower projects, especially large-scale hydropower projects, will have a great impact on the local environment of hydropower stations. In order to achieve the IEA’s plan to achieve a doubling of power generation in less than 40 years, small-scale small hydropower is difficult to achieve, and public acceptance of large-scale hydropower projects is even lower.

This report is the latest in a series of IEA reports on global low-carbon energy technologies. The IEA's series of reports covers a wide range of industries, from biofuels to smart grids, and proposes policies for governments in various countries. It also highlights the challenges faced by these new energy technologies in terms of technology, finance, and sustainability.