16 hours ago
China added 14.4 GW new hydropower capacity in 2024; pumped storage capacity at 58.69 GW: IHA
New Delhi: China added 14.4 gigawatts (GW) of new hydropower capacity in 2024, including 7.75 GW of
pumped storage hydropower
(PSH), taking its total installed hydropower capacity to 435.95 GW, the
International Hydropower Association
(IHA) said in its 2025 World Hydropower Outlook.
The report said China's total pumped storage capacity stood at 58.69 GW at the end of 2024. With more than 200 GW of PSH either under construction or approved, the country is expected to exceed its 2030 pumped storage target of 120 GW and may reach 130 GW before the end of the decade.
The East Asia and Pacific region added 14.6 GW of hydropower capacity in 2024, taking total capacity to 576.5 GW. Of this, 7,750 MW came from pumped storage, raising the regional PSH total to 98.4 GW.
In Southeast Asia, Laos continues to expand cross-border hydroelectricity exports to Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The report said Singapore is also seeking to increase hydropower imports through regional collaboration.
In Thailand, the Electricity Generating Authority commissioned a 24 MW floating solar PV system at the Ubol Ratana Dam in 2024. Malaysia and Indonesia are also exploring the hybridisation of hydropower projects with solar power.
The report stated that despite strong momentum, several countries in the region are facing challenges. Delays in permitting and environmental approvals, land rights issues, and lack of financial mechanisms to support capacity markets are slowing project development in Australia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
The IHA said these hurdles are constraining private investment and delaying grid infrastructure upgrades that are required to accommodate new hydropower generation and storage.
The report highlighted that pumped storage is gaining prominence globally due to rising demand for
grid flexibility
. 'This year's World Hydropower Outlook shows that global new capacity is accelerating after several years of stagnation,' IHA President Malcolm Turnbull said.
IHA Chief Executive Eddie Rich said, 'As the
renewable energy market
continues to grow, the story of this year's Outlook is clearly that pumped storage hydropower is at the forefront as the world looks to more energy storage.'
The report called for greater policy clarity, faster permitting, and the creation of new market mechanisms to value hydropower's capacity and flexibility services. It noted that these steps would be essential to ensure hydropower contributes effectively to the energy transition.
