Global Wind and Solar Power Share Surpasses 10% for the First Time

English Think Tank Amber Analysis 'Last Year Share 10.3%'... Denmark 51.9% World's No.1

[Image source= Ember homepage]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] According to a report by the UK think tank Ember, cited by the BBC on the 29th (local time), the share of electricity generated from solar and wind power worldwide surpassed 10% for the first time ever last year.

Ember stated that as the global economy emerged from the COVID-19 recession last year, electricity demand surged, and in this process, the share of solar and wind power generation exceeded 10% for the first time. The share of solar and wind power generation reached 10.3% last year, up 1 percentage point from 2020. Wind power accounted for 6.6%, and solar power accounted for 3.7%. The share of solar and wind power generation has doubled compared to 2015 (4.6%), when the Paris Climate Agreement was adopted.

Ember explained that among the 100 countries with the highest electricity demand worldwide, more than 50 countries had a solar and wind power share exceeding 10%.

The country with the highest share of solar and wind power generation was confirmed to be Denmark. Denmark generated 51.9% of its total electricity demand using solar and wind power. Following Denmark were Uruguay (46.7%), Lithuania (36.9%), Spain and Ireland (both 32.9%), Portugal (31.5%), and Germany (28.9%), all showing high shares.

The United States recorded 13.1%, China 11.2%, and Japan 10.2%, while South Korea stood at 4.7%, falling short of the global average.

The share of eco-friendly energy, including other clean energies besides wind and solar, was recorded at 38%. Other eco-friendly energies mentioned by Ember included hydrogen, nuclear power, bioenergy, fossil fuels using carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, and geothermal energy.

Last year, the share of coal-fired power generation was 36.5%. The share of coal power, which was 40.6% in 2014, had been declining and fell to 35.3% in 2020, but increased by 1.2 percentage points last year. The share of coal power rose mainly in Asian countries such as China and India.

With gas prices soaring last year, coal-fired power generation, which has relatively lower cost burdens, increased. Coal-fired power generation rose by 9% compared to the previous year, marking the highest growth rate since 1985, according to Ember.

Gas prices increased tenfold last year. Although coal prices rose less than gas prices, they still tripled.

Dave Jones, an analyst at Ember, explained, "The rise in both gas and coal prices has contributed to the increased demand for eco-friendly electricity."