Jakarta – Global think tank EMBER, released a report entitled “Global Electricity Review 2023” which states that global solar-powered renewable energy (NRE) power generation grew by 24 percent or the equivalent of adding 245 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2022. While wind power rose 17 percent or 312 TWh.
The increase in generation also limited the growth of coal power to only 1.1 percent or 108 TWh equivalent. On the other hand, gas-fired generation fell slightly by 0.2 percent or 12.3 TWh. The report also noted that the share of solar and wind power grew to reach 12 percent of the world’s total electricity supply, up from 10 percent in 2021. Thus, the share of global renewable energy rose to 39 percent, surpassing coal at 36 percent.
Małgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, author of the EMBER Global Electricity Review 2023 report, said that the increase in solar and wind power generation capacity could meet 80 percent of global electricity demand.
“We are in a decisive decade for the future of the climate, and this is the starting point for the end of the fossil fuel era. We are heading towards the era of clean energy,” said Wiatros-Motyka.
She said, the energy sector is entering a new era of fossil fuel emission reduction where coal plant retirements have already begun and the end of gas-based electricity is in sight. However, it all depends on the steps taken by governments, businesses and citizens today to move the world to clean electricity by 2040.
According to a model developed by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the electricity sector must shift from being the highest emitting sector to being the first to become carbon neutral by 2040, in order to achieve a carbon neutral economy by 2050. This means wind and solar must account for 41 percent of total global electricity by 2030.
However, this is not yet the case in Indonesia. According to the report, the share of wind and solar power in Indonesia is only 0.1 percent each in 2021. In fact, there are already 60 countries with 10 percent of their total power generation powered by wind and solar.
In 2021, the growth of solar power in Indonesia, which reached 12 percent, was only equivalent to 0.02 TWh due to low solar energy generation. Meanwhile, wind power actually fell by 6.4 percent or 0.03 TWh. At the same time, power generation from coal in Indonesia still rose 5 percent (9.1 TWh) and gas 9.7 percent (5 TWh).
“Although the progress of renewable energy development in Indonesia has been slow in recent years, international support is providing the financing needed to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy and phase out coal-based power generation in Indonesia,” said Wiatros-Motyka.
The international support includes the Asian Development Bank Energy Transition Mechanism and the Just Energy Transition Partnership. (Hartatik)
