Germany investment in new hydropower installations
Germany investment in new hydropower installations stood at 4 EUR million in 2025, according to German Environment Agency (UBA) / Working Group on Renewable Energy Statistics (AGEE-Stat). It is one of the indicators in the Renewable energy: shares, investment and avoided emissions table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 2000 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Renewable energy: shares, investment and avoided emissions table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 37,554 | 33,776 | 38,720 | 22,730 | 14,630 | 12,000 | 10,720 | 13,830 | 15,940 | 15,320 | |
| Hydropower | 4 | 6 | 10 | 70 | 70 | 100 | 110 | 120 | 60 | 60 | |
| Onshore wind | 8,820 | 5,470 | 5,960 | 3,830 | 2,990 | 2,190 | 1,650 | 3,390 | 7,450 | 6,910 |
Understanding germany investment in new hydropower installations
Asset financing and civil construction spending committed to hydroelectric facilities form the hydropower component of renewable installation investments. This row isolates run-of-river stations, diversion hydro schemes, and storage installations from sibling categories such as wind farms and photovoltaic parks. The measure encompasses civil engineering works, dam and weir construction, turbine fabrication, electrical generator installation, and ecologically required fish passage structures for newly commissioned or substantially expanded facilities. It excludes regular operational maintenance, dredging, water usage concession royalties, and routine component repairs that do not constitute newly recognized productive capacity.
Because hydroelectric construction requires extended planning and civil construction timelines, annual investment flows can display marked lumpiness as multi-year infrastructure works reach formal commissioning in particular statistical years. Figures are expressed in current nominal prices, combining newly commissioned capacity records with estimated specific construction costs. Revisions are common between early estimates and final statistics as project documentation from regional water authorities and plant registries is finalized. Comparing this series year over year highlights structural capital allocation into water-based power, though users should avoid conflating investment expenditures with weather-driven annual hydropower generation volumes.
Frequently asked questions
- Are environmental mitigation structures such as fish ladders counted within hydropower investment?
- Environmental protection and ecological continuity structures built as mandatory components of newly commissioned or expanded hydro facilities are included in the capital investment sum.
- Does this series include routine repairs and reservoir maintenance for existing dams?
- Regular operational upkeep, dredging, and standard maintenance are excluded, as the measure captures only capital outlays for new construction or capacity-expanding modernizations.
- Why can annual hydropower investment vary noticeably between consecutive years?
- Hydroelectric projects involve long construction cycles and heavy civil engineering, leading to statistical lumpiness when major individual facilities achieve final commissioning.