diff --git a/R/calcGlobalEnergyMonitor.R b/R/calcGlobalEnergyMonitor.R
index 61a12cb6..0ed29433 100644
--- a/R/calcGlobalEnergyMonitor.R
+++ b/R/calcGlobalEnergyMonitor.R
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ calcGlobalEnergyMonitor <- function() {
   # set 0s in other CHA countries than China to approximate CHA as China
   x[c("HKG", "MAC", "TWN"), , ] <- 0
 
-  # sum over all statuses
+  # ASSUMPTION: sum over all statuses
+  # this means that all planned projects will be realized!
   x <- dimSums(x, dim = "status")
 
   return(list(
diff --git a/R/calcProjectPipelines.R b/R/calcProjectPipelines.R
index f7006b99..f593f786 100644
--- a/R/calcProjectPipelines.R
+++ b/R/calcProjectPipelines.R
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ calcProjectPipelines <- function(subtype) {
     # Discussion about Hydro assumptions
     # https://gitlab.pik-potsdam.de/REMIND/committed/-/issues/2
   } else if (subtype == "hydro") {
+    # without pumped storage
     x <- readSource("GlobalEnergyMonitor")
     x <- x[, , "Hydro", pmatch = T]
 
diff --git a/R/readGlobalEnergyMonitor.R b/R/readGlobalEnergyMonitor.R
index a7e664da..56687c93 100644
--- a/R/readGlobalEnergyMonitor.R
+++ b/R/readGlobalEnergyMonitor.R
@@ -23,7 +23,12 @@ readGlobalEnergyMonitor <- function() {
            value = "Capacity (MW)",
            status = "Status",
            start = "Start year",
-           end = "Retired year") %>%
+           end = "Retired year",
+           # hydropower specific columns for shared projects
+           c1 = "Country/area 1 (hydropower only)",
+           c2 = "Country/area 2 (hydropower only)",
+           v1 = "Country/area 1 Capacity (MW) (hydropower only)",
+           v2 = "Country/area 2 Capacity (MW) (hydropower only)") %>%
     filter(status %in% c("announced", "pre-construction", "construction", "operating")) %>%
     # ASSUMPTION: rows with empty start year are ignored
     # only look at pipeline until 2030
@@ -42,14 +47,25 @@ readGlobalEnergyMonitor <- function() {
       d[is.na(d$end) & d$variable == tech, "start"] + lifetime[[tech]]
   }
 
+  # special case hydropower: some projects are divided between 2 countries
+  # find all of these cases and put them in 2 rows, one per country
+  d <- rbind(
+    d[is.na(d$c2), ],
+    d[!is.na(d$c2), ] %>% mutate(region = c1, value = as.numeric(v1)),
+    d[!is.na(d$c2), ] %>% mutate(region = c2, value = as.numeric(v2))
+    ) %>%
+    select(-c1, -c2, -v1, -v2)
+
   # use proper variable names
   d[d$variable == "coal", "variable"]       <- "Cap|Electricity|Coal"
   d[d$variable == "bioenergy", "variable"]  <- "Cap|Electricity|Biomass"
   d[d$variable == "nuclear", "variable"]    <- "Cap|Electricity|Nuclear"
-  # pumped storage would be available as tech category if differentiation needed
-  d[d$variable == "hydropower", "variable"] <- "Cap|Electricity|Hydro"
   d[d$variable == "geothermal", "variable"] <- "Cap|Electricity|Geothermal"
 
+  # remove pumped storage, keep ca. 3 GW of "conventional and pumped storage"
+  d <- d[!d$tech %in% "pumped storage", ]
+  d[d$variable == "hydropower", "variable"] <- "Cap|Electricity|Hydro"
+
   # separate wind into on- and offshore, "Unknown"/"blank" are all onshore
   offshore_tech <-  c("Offshore hard mount", "Offshore floating", "Offshore mount unknown")
   d[d$variable == "wind" & d$tech %in% offshore_tech, "variable"] <- "Cap|Electricity|Wind|Offshore"