Spain occupies the seventh position of the countries in the world in generation of solar and wind energy, and the tenth with the highest percentage of these sources to generate electricity.
This is reflected in the fourth edition of the report Global electricity review, prepared by Ember (think tank specialized in energy) and released this Wednesday.
The report, which includes data from 214 countries and territories around the world for 2021 or 2022 (78 nations with figures from last year, representing 93% of global electricity demand), indicates that wind and solar reached last year the record figure of 12.1% of world electricity, compared to 10% in 2021.
Ember analysts predict that wind and solar power will push the world from 2023 into a new era of reducing fossil fuel electricity generation and therefore power sector emissions.
“In this critical climate decade, it is the beginning of the end of the fossil age,” according to Malgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, a senior electricity analyst at Ember, who adds: “We are entering the era of clean energy.”
By country, last year Spain ranked seventh in terms of electricity generation from solar and wind energy, with 94.62 terawatt-hours (TWh), only behind China (1,241.43), the United States (639, 77), Germany (185.08), India (165.22), Japan (107.33) and Brazil (101.77).
Regarding the percentage of wind and solar power in total electricity generation, Spain ranks tenth (33.2%), surpassed by Denmark (60.8%), the Malvinas Islands (50.0%), Lithuania ( 48.4%), Luxembourg (46.6%), Cook Islands (40%), Uruguay (35.9), Portugal (34.8%), Ireland (33.6%) and Greece (33.3% ).
The EU generated 22.3% of its electricity last year from wind and solar energy, compared to 21.6% in Oceania; 16.1% from Europe; 15.8% from the OECD; 15.6% from the G-7; 13.9% from North America; 13.5% from the G-20, and 12.1% from the world.
Solar power was the fastest growing source of electricity for the 18th consecutive year, up 24% year-on-year and adding enough electricity to power all of South Africa. Wind generation increased by 17% in 2022, enough to power almost the entire UK.
More than 60 countries now generate more than 10% of their electricity from wind and solar power. Together, all clean electricity sources (renewable and nuclear) accounted for 39% of global electricity, a new record. Despite this progress, coal power remained the world’s largest source of electricity last year, producing 36% of the world’s electricity.
The growth of wind and solar generation in 2022 covered 80% of the increase in global electricity demand. Despite the global gas crisis and fears of a return to coal, this increase limited the increase in coal-fired generation (up 1.1%), while gas-fired power generation fell slightly (-0. 2%). Overall, that meant power sector emissions rose 1.3% in 2022, a new all-time high.
However, the report forecasts that last year could be the ‘peak’ of electricity emissions and the last year of growth for fossil energy, with clean energy meeting demand growth in 2023. Consequently, this year there would be a small drop in fossil generation (-0.3%), with further declines as wind and solar deployment accelerate.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the electricity sector must go from being the sector with the highest emissions to being the first to reach zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 before the entire economy reaches it in 2050. This would mean that wind and solar power would account for 41% of global electricity in 2030, compared to 12% in 2022.
“The stage is set for wind and solar power to achieve a meteoric rise to the top. Clean electricity will reshape the global economy, from transportation to industry and beyond. A new era of reducing fossil fuel emissions means that the phase-down of coal power will take place and the end of gas power growth is in sight,” Wiatros-Motyka said.
This analyst concludes: “Change is coming fast. However, it all depends on the actions that governments, companies and citizens take now to put the world on the path to clean energy by 2040.”
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