Energy transition to sustainable sources is inevitable to combat the climate emergency. And in this process of decarbonizing the energy system in the coming years, renewable energy It is the most obvious tool and the most suitable option in the medium term. The spread of green energies is accelerating and breaking records amid the energy crisis, but is still very small in relation to the sustained global leadership of coal and natural gas as sources of electricity generation.
This Wind farms and solar farms active across the planet collected a record 12.1% of all electricity production last year. Compared to 10.3% globally recorded in 2021, according to a report by think tank Ember specializing in energy issues. In both wind energy (6.6% to 7.6% of world electricity production, with 2,160 terawatt hours, TWh) and solar energy (3.7% to 4.5%, 2009) All-time high based on growth. 1,284 TWh).
Almost 40% lightweight, CO2 free
fourth edition Global Electricity Review 100 percent of the Ember group of experts, with data from 78 countries focusing on 93% of global electricity demand. solar energy once again the fastest growing source of generation For the 18th time, with 24% increase, wind energy followed with 17% increase in production.
Combination of all energies with no CO2 emissions (wind, solar, nuclear and hydroelectric) set a new record with 39% of world electricity production last year. Hydroelectric power plants kept their share of global production at 15%, and nuclear power plants reduced their contribution slightly to 9.2% (compared to 9.9% in 2021).
Record emissions
Despite the proliferation of green energy, coal and gas are still far ahead on a global scale as the main sources of electricity generation. This Coal plants returned to produce 36% of all electricity last year and increased their production by 1.1% to 10,186 TWh. And Gas thermal power plants continue to be the second generation source with 22%. in total and with stabilized generation (-0.2%) of 6,336 TWh.
The increase in global electricity demand (+2.4%) and the power of coal and gas as the main generation sources caused global CO2 emissions from the world electricity sector to increase by 1.3% to reach an all-time high of 12,431 million tons. . In 2021, emissions recorded a historic 7% increase, supported by the economic recovery after the pause due to the pandemic.
The decline of fossil fuels?
The gap between green energies and coal and gas, which has the highest greenhouse effect emissions, remains huge, but the Ember report predicts this year could mark a turning point towards a new era of fossil power generation. fuel starts to run low. “This is the beginning of the end of the fossil age,” says Małgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, the report’s lead author. “We are entering an era of clean energy.”
Estimates, think tank They are happening because this year marks the last year of growth in fossil energy production (they accounted for 80% of the increase in consumption last year), with the world’s electricity system reaching its peak in CO2 emissions and enabling clean energies to meet all the growth in global demand. “There will be a small decline (-0.3%) in fossil production in 2023, and further declines in subsequent years as the deployment of wind and solar power gains momentum,” the organization says.