Renewable energies will experience record growth in 2023, driven largely by additional photovoltaic energy capacities, according to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) published on Thursday 1 June.
"Global renewable energy capacity additions are expected to jump by a third this year on growing political support, rising fossil fuel prices and energy security concerns" from the invasion of the Ukraine by Russia, according to the report.
This growth should continue in 2024 and allow renewable energies to represent 4.500 GW of power, i.e. the electricity production of the United States and China combined.
The latter will consolidate its position as the locomotive of new renewable energy capacities: "in 2022, China accounted for nearly half of all new renewable energy capacities in the world. By 2024, the country's share should reach a record 55% share of the annual global deployment" of new capacities, writes the IEA.
New photovoltaic energy capacities will represent "two-thirds of the increase" in renewable energy capacities for 2023, notes the agency, a trend which should be confirmed in 2024.
"The development of large photovoltaic power plants is accompanied by the growth of smaller systems", for example on the roofs of buildings: due to the surge in electricity, consumers are thus trying to reduce their bills.
In Europe, new solar and wind capacity has saved consumers 100 billion euros on their energy expenditure during the period 2021-2023, according to the IEA.
Regarding wind, new capacity additions "should rebound strongly in 2023, with growth of almost 70% year-on-year", but after two difficult years, marked by a slowdown in growth.
This faster progress is “mainly due to the completion of projects which had been delayed” in particular by the restrictions due to Covid-19 in China. Its continuation in 2024 will depend in particular on the capacity of the states to solve the problems of authorizations of establishments, estimates the report.
Moreover, unlike photovoltaics, “wind turbine supply chains are not developing fast enough to meet the acceleration in demand in the medium term”, in particular due to the rise in commodity prices.
