# Run-of-river and small hydro: Overview

From village micro-hydro to waterwheels and pumps with no motor

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_small_hydro/overview/

What this tile covers Hydropower with little or no reservoir, from river plants to village micro-hydro. Share of use 0.2% share of world energy supply (2024)

Share of world total energy supply captured or extracted by each method, 2024 (latest year where noted). Denominator is the Energy Institute Statistical Review 2025 total of 592.2 EJ (physical energy content method); electricity from wind, solar, hydro and geothermal is counted at output, nuclear at reactor heat. Heat and biomass flows outside EI's total are set against the same 592.2 EJ. Small hydro (up to 10 MW) is about 79 GW, 6% of hydropower capacity (UNIDO); applying 6% to 16.03 EJ gives 0.96 EJ of 592.2 EJ (calculated). Assumes small plants run at the average hydro capacity factor. Source: [World Small Hydropower Development Report 2022: English summary](https://www.unido.org/sites/default/files/files/2023-05/ENGLISH%20SUMMARY-2022.pdf), UNIDO.

#### Key facts

| **Output** | Electricity or motion |
|---|---|

#### Included from the reference tables

- Run-of-river plants
- Small, mini and micro hydro
- In-stream (hydrokinetic) turbines
- Waterwheels and watermills
- Hydraulic rams

#### Linked to the material world
[H₂O Water](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/water/)

#### Also in Water and ocean
[HyD Hydropower dams](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_hydro_dams/)[WEC Wave energy converters](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_wave_power/)[TdP Tidal and ocean-current power](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_tidal_power/)[OTEC OTEC and salinity power](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_otec/)

Explore paths from here
 More on this tile in the tabs above: efficiency, techniques, resources and labour, impact on the biosphere.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_small_hydro/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_small_hydro/correlation/index.md)
- [Efficiency](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_small_hydro/efficiency/index.md)
- [Techniques](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_small_hydro/techniques/index.md)
- [Resources and labour](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_small_hydro/resources/index.md)
- [Impact on the biosphere](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_small_hydro/biosphere/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_small_hydro/links/index.md)