Germany renewable primary consumption of hydropower
Germany renewable primary consumption of hydropower stood at 61.49 PJ in 2025. It is one of the indicators in the Energy balance table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 2003 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Energy balance table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 2,189.56 | 2,127.23 | 2,079.31 | 2,069.35 | 1,981.47 | 1,987.63 | 1,921.2 | 1,844.46 | 1,807.96 | 1,696.01 | |
| Hydropower | 61.49 | 80.93 | 71.62 | 63.45 | 70.76 | 67.4 | 72.49 | 65.15 | 72.54 | 73.97 | |
| Wind energy | 482.98 | 503.33 | 510.35 | 447.38 | 419.21 | 475.57 | 453.22 | 395.82 | 380.5 | 287.73 |
Understanding germany renewable primary consumption of hydropower
Electricity produced from the natural gravitational flow of rivers and reservoir water turbines defines this row. Under the physical energy content convention applied across national energy balances, primary hydropower consumption is set directly equal to the gross electricity generated by run-of-river and natural inflow water installations. This accounting rule sets it alongside other non-combustible renewables like wind and solar photovoltaic power, while separating it from combustible renewables like biomass where fuel heat value is tracked. The series explicitly excludes electricity generated by pumped-storage plants operating on previously pumped water, preventing double counting of power already recorded in other primary supply rows.
Interpreting hydro figures demands careful attention to annual hydrological cycles, because river discharge volumes and precipitation levels cause substantial variations between wet and dry years without changes in operating turbine capacity. Initial figures capture metered generation from major river systems, while subsequent revisions incorporate output data from small decentralized run-of-river operators. Year-on-year comparisons demonstrate weather-driven streamflow variations rather than industrial shifts, making multi-year analysis the soundest method for assessing baseline hydro performance. A major pitfall is adding pumped-storage generation into this row, which distorts the balance by counting recycled grid electricity as original primary energy.
Frequently asked questions
- Is electricity produced by pumped-storage plants included in this hydro series?
- Only electricity generated from natural river runoff and natural reservoir inflows is counted; pure pumped-storage generation from artificial pumping cycles is excluded to avoid double counting.
- How is primary energy calculated for hydropower without combustible fuel input?
- Statisticians apply the physical energy content convention, equating primary energy consumption directly to the metered gross electrical output produced by water turbines.
- Why do annual hydropower figures fluctuate even when turbine capacity remains unchanged?
- Hydropower generation is directly linked to annual precipitation and river runoff volumes, leading to variations between wet and dry years.