Global renewable energy addition to reach 295 GW in 2022

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reports that 295 GW of renewable energy capacity was added globally in 2022, a record high but three times less than is needed annually to limit global warming.

An industry agency released statistics on Tuesday showing that global renewable energy capacity stood at 3,372 GW at the end of last year. New commissionings in 2022 represent a 9.6% year-on-year increase, with renewables accounting for 83% of total capacity growth worldwide.

“This continued record growth shows the resilience of renewables in the face of a protracted energy crisis,” said IRENA CEO Francesco La Camera, adding that the strong growth in the sector is the result of a surge in demand and supportive policies. However, he pointed out that by 2030, annual growth in this sector must be three times the current level in order for the world to be able to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Looking at the numbers for 2022, China has made the largest contribution to the annual deployment of renewable energy, with 141 GW of new grid-connected capacity. Europe has 57.3 GW of new renewable energy plants commissioned, followed by North America with 29.1 GW. South America followed with 18.2 GW of new installations. Africa and Oceania added 2.7 GW and 5.2 GW, respectively.

The highest growth was recorded in the Middle East, where annual deployment grew by 12.8% year on year with 3.2 GW of capacity coming online.

In terms of technology, solar and wind have dominated the world’s renewable energy expansion, accounting for 90% of all net additions in 2022. Solar power was the main driver with 191 GW added, representing a 22% annual increase. Details are available in the table.

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