UPDATED 1 Sept: The EI library in London is temporarily closed to the public, as a precautionary measure in light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation. The Knowledge Service will still be answering email queries via email , or via live chats during working hours (09:15-17:00 GMT). Our e-library is always open for members here: eLibrary , for full-text access to over 200 e-books and millions of articles. Thank you for your patience.
New Energy World
New Energy World embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low carbon technologies.
Record growth in renewables last year, despite energy crisis
29/3/2023
Clean energy continues to grow at record levels despite global uncertainties, with 83% of all power capacity added last year produced by renewables, according to a new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
By the end of 2022, global renewable generation capacity amounted to 3,372 GW, growing the stock of renewable power by a record of 295 GW, according to IRENA’s recently released Renewable Capacity Statistics 2023.
‘This continued record growth shows the resilience of renewable energy amidst the lingering energy crisis,’ IRENA’s Director General Francesco La Camera comments. ‘The strong business case of renewables coupled with enabling policies has sustained an upward trend of their share in the global energy mix year-on-year. But annual additions of renewable power capacity must grow three times the current level by 2030, if we want to stay on a pathway limiting global warming to 1.5°C.’
While many countries increased their renewable capacity in 2022, the significant growth of renewables is persistently concentrated in a few countries and regions like Asia, the US and Europe. IRENA’s data finds that almost half of all new capacity in 2022 was added in Asia, resulting in a total of 1.63 TW of renewable capacity by 2022. China was the biggest contributor, adding 141 GW to the continent’s new capacity.
Renewables in Europe and North America grew by 57.3 GW and 29.1 GW respectively. Africa continued to expand steadily with an increase of 2.7 GW, slightly above last year. Oceania continued double-digit growth with an expansion of 5.2 GW and South America was also on an upward trend, with a capacity expansion of 18.2 GW. The Middle East recorded its highest increase in renewables on record, with 3.2 GW of new capacity commissioned in 2022, an increase of 12.8%.
La Camera adds: ‘As energy demand is expected to rise in many regions of the world, the energy transition requires a step-change that delivers a strategic shift beyond the decarbonisation of the supply side. Any expansion of new non-renewables capacity in light of recent global events must be connected to efforts to accelerate the energy transition to make the system more resilient, inclusive and climate-proof.’
Although hydropower accounted for the largest share of the global total renewable generation capacity with 1,250 GW, solar and wind continued to dominate new generating capacity. Together, both technologies contributed 90% to the share of all new renewable capacity in 2022. Solar capacity led with 22% increase, followed by wind energy, which increased its generating capacity by 9%.
