Expert: Germany could double share of electricity from hydropower

Germany could significantly boost its electricity output from hydropower, an industry expert says.

"The potential of hydropower is still largely untapped in Germany," said Helge Beyer, chief executive of the German Hydropower Association (BDW). Currently, hydropower accounts for around 3-4% of the country's electricity generation.

Beyer said modernization of existing plants, reactivating old dam sites and new installations could more than double that share.

However, the expert noted, progress is slow. "Approval processes are incredibly complex and take far too long – on average about seven years for upgrading or building a new hydropower plant."

Beyer emphasized the strategic value of hydropower. It is steady, predictable and flexible, contributing to grid stability and energy security, he said, adding that it also facilitates integration of intermittent renewables.

Projects such as Energyminer's Energyfish swarm power plants are aiming to complement conventional hydropower. These floating flow turbines harness river currents to generate electricity, the company says.

Three units were recently installed on the Rhine in western Germany, with a total of 124 expected by year-end to feed power into the public grid.

While flow turbines produce less energy than conventional hydropower plants, which exploit both water flow and drop height, Beyer said every contribution matters. "In the end, we need to seize every opportunity to advance the energy transition," he said.