Global additions of renewable power capacity are set to rise 50% by 2024, with 1,200 GW installed over the next six years, the International Energy Agency said.
The increase, equivalent to the US’s power generation capacity, is being driven by cost reductions and climate change policy, the agency said in its Renewables 2019 report.
Solar accounts for 60% or almost 700 GW of the forecast additions as the global PV market is set for “spectacular growth”, the report said.
Wind capacity is set to increase by 352 GW over the period, of which 44 GW would be offshore, it said.
For the European Union, the forecast has been lifted by 46% to reflect more ambitious energy plans and auction schedules, with 180 GW new renewables capacity predicted for 2019-2024.
The acceleration comes after renewable capacity additions in Europe stalled last year for the first time in almost two decades.
For 2019 the IEA predicts a 12% increase for the region, the biggest since 2015, with almost 200 GW of new capacity to be added led by solar (113 GW) and wind (57 GW), the IEA already said in September.
“Renewables are already the world’s second largest source of electricity, but their deployment still needs to accelerate if we are to achieve long-term climate, air quality and energy access goals,” IEA executive director Fatih Birol said.
The share of renewables in global power generation is set to rise from 26% today to 30% in 2024, it said although wind and solar would still only generate some 3,300 TWh of the total expected 8,800 TWh of renewables generation in 2024 to be led by hydro.
Source: Guardian
