Source: People's Daily November 5, 2024 08:07 Author: Liu Gang
The International Energy Agency releases the World Energy Outlook report for the year 2024——
Global clean energy industry accelerates (international perspective) "People's Daily" (November 5, 2024, 14th edition)
The International Energy Agency recently released its 2024 World Energy Outlook. The report shows that the global renewable energy industry will experience unprecedented development in 2023, with an added installed capacity of over 560 gigawatts of renewable energy. It is expected that by 2030, the global installed capacity of renewable energy will exceed about 25% of the total set development goals of various countries, sufficient to meet the increasing global demand for electricity. In 2023, China's newly installed renewable energy capacity will account for about 60% of the world's total newly installed renewable energy capacity, making important contributions to the global energy transition and the construction of a clean and beautiful world.
Countries continue to increase investment in clean energy
In the history of world energy, we have witnessed the coal and oil eras, and now we are rapidly entering the era of electricity. "The International Energy Agency outlined the latest picture of global energy transition in its report.
The report points out that in the past 10 years, the proportion of fossil fuels in the global energy structure has gradually decreased from 82% in 2013 to 80% in 2023, while global energy demand has increased by 15% during the same period, with 40% of the growth coming from clean energy. Thanks to technological advancements, improved energy efficiency, and industrial restructuring, global energy intensity continues to decline.
The International Energy Agency's report shows that nearly $2 trillion in investment flows into the clean energy sector each year, almost twice the total investment in the oil, gas, and coal sectors. At present, about 140 countries around the world have formulated policies related to energy security and climate change, promoting the accelerated use of clean energy in various industries. A report released by the UK energy consultancy in August this year also believes that wind and solar power generation are growing rapidly due to further cost reductions and accelerated deployment of new production capacity. The current global energy transition is shifting from the stage of "total energy consumption growth" to the stage of "energy substitution". At this stage, the increase in clean energy exceeds the growth in global energy demand, resulting in a decrease in the consumption of fossil fuels and carbon emissions.
The report predicts that from 2023 to 2030, under existing policies and market conditions, the increase in clean energy will exceed 20% of the global increase in electricity demand. By 2030, coal consumption in global power plants will decrease by 10%, and oil consumption will decrease by 50%. At that time, the carbon dioxide emissions from the energy system will no longer increase for the first time. The global energy landscape is entering a completely different stage from the past, with countries increasing their investment in clean energy, which will have a huge impact on the future prospects of the energy industry and global action to address climate change, "said Fatih Birol, Director General of the International Energy Agency.
Global energy transition faces different challenges
The International Energy Agency also listed some challenges facing the global energy transition in its report. Global energy inequality still exists, "the International Energy Agency pointed out. Currently, about 750 million people worldwide (mainly concentrated in sub Saharan Africa) lack access to electricity, and over 2 billion people are unable to use clean cooking fuels. The high financing costs and project risks limit the promotion of clean energy technologies in these regions. In addition, regional conflicts and geopolitical tensions exacerbate the fragility of the global energy system, posing challenges to energy security and global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The report points out that extreme weather events are occurring frequently worldwide, and increasingly severe extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts, floods, and storms pose serious challenges to the safe and reliable operation of energy systems. Based on current policies, global carbon dioxide emissions are expected to peak soon, making it difficult to achieve the temperature control targets of the Paris Agreement. The International Energy Agency calls for the establishment of a people-centered, resilient, and flexible sustainable energy system, and for increased support for the energy transition of the least developed countries, gradually bridging the global energy gap.
The International Energy Agency also stated that although clean energy is developing rapidly globally, there are still challenges such as high financing costs, insufficient power grid infrastructure, and weak system integration. It is necessary for countries to increase investment in the field of new energy, especially in the power grid and energy storage. The report believes that "advanced clean energy technologies such as solar photovoltaics, wind energy, hydrogen energy, etc. will create enormous emission reduction potential in the future. These technologies collectively undertake nearly three-quarters of the carbon reduction task by 2050. Therefore, improving power grid infrastructure is the key to achieving global energy transformation, especially by increasing investment in energy storage equipment
China actively supports global green development
China adheres to the concept of ecological civilization, vigorously promotes green development, circular development, and low-carbon development, and actively deepens international green cooperation. By the end of 2023, the installed capacity of wind and photovoltaic power generation in China has increased tenfold compared to 10 years ago, with clean energy power generation accounting for 58.2% of the total installed capacity. The newly added clean energy power generation accounts for more than half of the total increase in electricity consumption in society. In 2023, China's energy transition investment reached 676 billion US dollars, making it the country with the highest energy transition investment in the world. The wind and photovoltaic products exported by China in 2023 will help other countries reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 810 million tons.
Recently, Chinese companies have signed multiple agreements for the construction of overseas renewable energy projects, and Chinese made solar panels, wind power equipment, etc. will provide a continuous source of green energy for the local area. In Bulgaria, China General Technology Group International Holdings Co., Ltd. signed a general contract to build a 229 MW peak photovoltaic power station. After completion, it is expected to generate 320 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, equivalent to saving 110000 tons of standard coal. In Laos, Yunnan Energy Investment Group Co., Ltd. of China signed a cooperation and development agreement with the Laotian government for the Gan Mong Se Bang Fei photovoltaic power generation project. The first phase is planned to have a capacity of 50.1 megawatts, with a configured energy storage capacity of 10 megawatt hours. After commissioning, the average annual on grid electricity will be close to 100 million kilowatt hours. In Mauritania, China Energy Jianhua East Institute signed a general contract for the 1200 MW wind power project in Nouadhibou. After the project is completed, the annual power generation will be approximately 4.134 billion kilowatt hours, which is equivalent to reducing about 4.12 million tons of carbon dioxide
China has established the world's largest carbon emissions trading market and has cooperated with over 100 countries and regions on green energy projects. China's new energy industry has enriched global supply, promoted the reduction of global energy transition costs, and made important contributions to global green transformation and climate change response.
Jaime Bahar, Senior Analyst at the International Energy Agency, said, "China has become a leader in the global clean energy field. The rapid growth of China's clean energy production capacity is not only beneficial to China, but also to the world." UN Deputy Secretary General and Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, Achim Steiner, believes that China's continuous acceleration of technological innovation and application will benefit many parts of the world from China's green development.
[Editor in charge: Xiao Jie]
