Türkiye has achieved another historic success in renewable energy investments. Its hydroelectric installed capacity has reached 32,294 megawatts. Leaving behind developed European economies such as France, Italy and Spain, Türkiye has become the country with the second-largest hydroelectric capacity in Europe after Norway.
IN THE BIG LEAGUE According to the '2026 World Hydropower Outlook' report published by the International Hydropower Association (IHA), Türkiye ranks right behind giants such as China, Brazil, the United States, Canada, India, Russia, Japan and Norway in the global hydroelectric capacity ranking, recorded as the world's ninth-largest hydroelectric power.
On a global scale, hydroelectric generation reached 4,495 terawatt-hours last year, and the fact that this amount is close to the total of global wind and solar energy production once again proved that hydropower remains the world's largest renewable electricity source.
In the same period, total global hydroelectric installed capacity reached 1,469 gigawatts, with conventional plants accounting for the bulk of this capacity. A NEW WAVE OF INVESTMENT ON THE HORIZON As the global hydropower sector undergoes a major transformation, the project portfolio under development has reached a massive size of 1,127 gigawatts.
Experts note that more than 390 gigawatts of these projects are already under construction, pointing out that increasing electricity demand and energy security concerns have brought hydropower investments back to the top of the global agenda.
Energy systems need not only electricity generation but also technologies that provide flexibility, balancing, reserve capacity and grid security, making hydroelectric plants one of the rare and indispensable generation sources that can provide these services simultaneously.
WE RANK 5TH IN WIND AND 10TH IN SOLAR WORLDWIDE In 2025, Türkiye also ranks 5th in the world in wind energy installations and 10th in solar energy installations. Strengthening its place among the world's leading markets in wind and solar energy, Türkiye is expected to accelerate its energy transition by reaching 25 gigawatts of wind and 8 gigawatts of battery storage capacity by 2035.
