Germany pumped storage hydropower capacity
Germany pumped storage hydropower capacity stood at 9.9 GW in 2025, according to Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE – energy-charts.info. It is one of the indicators in the Installed conventional capacity table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 2011 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Installed conventional capacity table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydropower | |||||||||||
| Hydro pumped storage | 9.9 | 9.9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9.86 | 9.48 | 9.47 | |
| Hydropower (run-of-river) | 5.42 | 5.42 | 5.41 | 5.41 | 5.3 | 5.36 | 5.35 | 5.34 | 5.33 | 5.31 |
Understanding germany pumped storage hydropower capacity
Gravitational water storage systems are tracked through this indicator, capturing the generating potential of their downward-flow turbines in GW. Distinct from passive river facilities, these installations operate as mechanical batteries by consuming electricity during off-peak hours to elevate water into an upper reservoir for subsequent release. The classification encompasses both closed-loop arrays isolated from natural waterways and open-loop configurations connected to existing rivers. The measurement strictly evaluates the outward electricity generation capability, excluding the electrical load drawn by the upward pumping mechanism.
Assessing the grid's ability to balance intermittent renewable energy relies on long-term year-on-year comparisons of this specific infrastructure. The annual observations capture the completion of massive, multi-year civil engineering projects, masking the daily cycling that characterizes their actual operation. Methodological breaks occasionally disrupt the timeline when mixed-use municipal water reservoirs alter their primary functional designation. Observers must treat this category differently from other generating assets; it does not produce net-new electricity, but rather acts as a time-shifting mechanism that inherently consumes more power than it eventually returns to the network.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this measure the power used to pump water upward?
- The figures represent only the generation capability of the descending water passing through the turbines, not the electrical load of the pumps.
- Are natural lakes used in these systems?
- Open-loop designs that incorporate natural lakes or rivers as their lower basin are fully integrated into the aggregate.
- Does this category generate net-new electricity?
- These facilities operate purely as storage mechanisms, meaning they consume more total energy during the pumping phase than they generate upon release.