Water

Hydro power was already used in Ancient Egypt and in the Roman Empire to drive machines such as flour mills. In the Middle Ages, water mills were used for paper and saw mills. Since the end of the 19th century, hydro power has been used for generating electricity. On a global scale, hydro power currently is the most important renewable energy source for electricity production.

The total electricity consumption decreased by 4.0 percent in 2022 to 484.2 TWh. The net electricity generation increased by 0.4 percent to 506.8 TWh. The share of electricity generated from renewable energy sources in the consumption reached 48.3 percent in 2022. 2.8 percent was attributed to hydropower and other renewables.