Hydroelectric power: present role and future prospects

Hydropower currently provides around 19% of the world's supply of electricity, but only 1·5% in the UK. This paper argues that although hydropower will never be sufficient alone to meet increasing world needs for electricity, it is a clean renewable source of energy that should be exploited to the maximum possible extent. It reports that significant potential exists for both development of new hydro schemes and the uprating, at relatively low cost, of existing ones. The greatest potential is available in developing countries but there is scope for substantial development in many parts of Europe, where only 45% of the resource has been exploited. In the UK, more small hydro could be developed and more pumped storage schemes may be required to balance increasing investment in wind and tidal power.