According to a report published by the think tank Ember Energy, integrating 25 GW of wind and solar power into existing hydropower plants across seven European nations can achieve hybrid renewable energy operations. This infrastructure strategy allows Austria, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Portugal, Romania, and Spain to integrate 18% of their anticipated new renewable energy by 2030 without requiring additional grid capacity.
Maximizing Existing Grid Connections to Beat Transmission Bottlenecks
Energy companies face mounting hurdles as transmission infrastructure fails to keep pace with generation projects. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global grid connection queues have surpassed 2,500 GW of stalled renewable, large load, and storage projects due to a lack of transmission capacity. Meeting future electricity demand requires annual grid investments to climb by roughly 50 percent from today’s $400 billion by 2030, alongside strengthened supply chains and workforce management, as stated by the IEA.
Ember points out that Europe faces a shortfall of at least 120 GW between available grid capacity and anticipated renewable growth by 2030. Hybrid renewable energy projects directly address this bottleneck. By combining wind and solar assets at current hydro sites, developers can nearly double the utilization of existing grid connections. This approach cuts down on expensive expansion projects in nations where transmission constraints run high.
Did You Know? The seven European countries assessed by Ember plan to deploy a combined 138 GW of wind and solar power between 2026 and 2030. This marks a more than 50 percent increase from their combined 235-GW wind and solar capacity recorded in 2025, to be built in just five years.
Untapping Hydropower Potential Through Wind and Solar Integration
According to the Ember report, the hydropower plants eligible for hybridisation currently achieve just 19 percent of their maximum output on average. Integrating wind and solar resources at these same sites can boost utilization rates significantly, raising output to 36 percent and 31 percent, respectively.
While countries like Austria and Bulgaria lack any remaining grid capacity for new generation, and nations like Portugal and Romania report extremely limited availability, hybridisation offers a bypass.
Real-World Hybrid Renewable Energy Examples in Europe
A handful of European nations are already moving forward with hybrid setups, providing operational blueprints for the rest of the continent. In Portugal, the Tâmega wind farm is being developed as a hybrid project designed to connect directly to the exact same substation used by the Tâmega hydroelectric complex.
France launched the Lazer floating solar project, installing 50,000 solar panels directly onto the reservoir of the Lazer dam hydropower facility. Opened in 2023, the floating solar technology minimizes additional land use while successfully doubling the renewable energy capacity of the entire site.
Despite these successes, regulatory frameworks lag behind. Out of the seven nations analyzed by Ember, only Spain and Portugal have established official rules for hybrid projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a hybrid renewable energy project?
How much renewable energy can be added to existing hydro plants in Europe?
According to Ember Energy, 25 GW of wind and solar can be added to existing hydropower plants across Austria, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Portugal, Romania, and Spain.
Why are grid connections a major bottleneck for renewables?
Global grid connection queues have reached over 2,500 GW because transmission infrastructure development lags far behind the rapid pace of renewable energy generation projects.
Which countries have established rules for hybrid energy projects?
Among the seven EU countries assessed in the Ember report, only Spain and Portugal currently have established regulatory guidelines for hybrid projects.
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