Archive 2008

Moving from principles to action for energy supply that mitigates against climate change requires a long-term perspective. Energy infrastructure takes time to build up; new energy technologies take time to develop. Policy shifts often also need many years to take effect. In most world regions the transformation from fossil to renewable energies will require additional investment and higher supply costs over about twenty years

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archives 2008 archive regional scenarios 2008 transition economies electricity generation

electricity generation

The development of the electricity supply sector is characterised by a growing renewable energy market. This will compensate for the phasing out of nuclear energy and reduce the number of fossil fuelfired power plants required for grid stabilisation. By 2050, 81% of the electricity produced in the Transition Economy countries will come from renewable energy sources. ‘New’ renewables – mainly wind, solar thermal energy and PV – will contribute 65% of electricity generation.

The installed capacity of renewable energy technologies will grow from the current 93 GW to 550 GW in 2050, increasing capacity by a factor of six over the next 42 years. This will require political support and well-designed policy instruments.

Figure 6.77 shows the expansion rate of the different renewable technologies over time. Up to 2020, hydro-power and wind will remain the main contributors. After 2020, the continuing growth of wind will be complemented by electricity from biomass, photovoltaics and geothermal energy.