Aqilah Rahman
The power sector’s decarbonisation is underway as record growth in wind and solar drove the emissions intensity of the world’s electricity to its lowest ever level in 2022, according to the Global Electricity Review 2023 by clean energy think tank Ember.
As the biggest carbon dioxide emitter, the global electricity sector is the first that needs to be decarbonised for the world to achieve net zero, said the study.
In the report, Senior Electricity Analyst Malgorzata Wiatros-Motyka said the world is entering the era of clean power. “The stage is set for wind and solar to achieve a meteoric rise to the top. Clean electricity will reshape the global economy, from transport to industry and beyond. A new era of falling fossil emissions means the coal power phasedown will happen, and the end of gas power growth is now within sight. Change is coming fast.
However, it all depends on the actions taken now by governments, businesses and citizens to put the world on a pathway to clean power by 2040.”
Altogether, the clean electricity sources (renewables and nuclear) accounted for 39 per cent of global electricity, a new record high.
Combined, solar and wind overtook nuclear generation last year and are catching up with hydro generation. Over 60 countries now generate more than 10 per cent of their electricity from wind and solar. Despite the growth in wind and solar contribution to global electricity generation, the demand for electricity around the world continued to increase.
Fossil fuels dominated the electricity generation in 2022, with the biggest power source being coal (36 per cent) followed by gas (22 per cent). The biggest clean electricity source is hydro (15 per cent), followed by nuclear (9 per cent), wind (7.6 per cent) and solar (4.5 per cent). Bioenergy generated 2.4 per cent of global electricity, and other renewables 0.4 per cent.
Overall, fossil generation rose by 1.1 per cent in 2022, setting a new record. As a result, the power sector’s carbon dioxide emissions rose by 1.3 per cent reaching a record high of 12,431 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (mtCO2).
To align with the International Energy Agency (IEA) Net Zero Emissions scenario, advanced economies must decarbonise their electricity generation by 2035 and the rest of the world by 2040.
However, the power sector is not yet seeing the emissions cuts needed for net zero. On average, emissions should drop by 7.6 per cent annually as per the IEA Net Zero Emissions scenario.
The report calls for the electricity sector to be the first sector to reach net zero emissions globally by 2040 so the world has a chance to achieve economy-wide net zero by 2050.
The report also highlights that for emissions to fall, the increase in electricity demand must be met by clean electricity sources and these sources must continue to grow.
Despite the increase in emissions, the report notes there are strong signs that 2022 was a turning point in the global electricity transition.
Following the invasion of Ukraine and the global energy crisis in 2022, many governments reconsidered their reliance on fossil fuels. As clean energy sources, wind and solar are being prioritised while being cheaper in many countries.
Meanwhile, investment in low carbon energy technology matched the investment in fossil fuels for the first time, surpassing USD1 trillion in 2022. The report notes that although this is a good sign, investment must triple by 2030 to put the world on track to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Over the last two decades, solar generation has gradually increased to become a significant part of the global electricity mix. In 2000, solar generated 1.1 terawatt-hour (TWh), accounting for 0.01 per cent of the global electricity mix. In 2022, solar generated 1,284 TWh, with a share of 4.5 per cent in the global electricity mix. For solar power, China generated the most electricity (418 TWh), equivalent to 4.7 per cent of its electricity mix.
Meanwhile, Chile has the highest percentage of solar in its electricity mix (17 per cent, 14 TWh) followed by Netherlands (15 per cent, 18 TWh) and Australia (13 per cent, 33 TWh).
Similar to solar power, wind generation has grown rapidly in the last two decades. In 2000, wind generation amounted to 31TWh, accounting for just 0.2 per cent of the global share. Last year, wind generation reached 2,160 TWh.
For wind power, China was the biggest generator in 2022 at 824 TWh, (9.3 per cent of its electricity mix), while Denmark has the highest wind generation by percentage (55 per cent, 19 TWh).
“Acting now brings the most benefits,” said the report. “Investing in renewables will rapidly pay for itself with cheaper electricity. Moreover, securing clean electricity decades ahead of net zero will unlock the most affordable and effective pathways to economy-wide decarbonisation.”
It added, “However, the electricity transition is not yet accelerating at the pace required to avoid the worst effects of the climate crisis. There is so much to gain if we succeed, but even more to lose if we fail.”
