Page 5 - AfrElec Week 13 2022

AfrElec COMMENTARY AfrElec

Solar and wind in net-zero pathways still provide no meaning-
2021 showed that the rise in solar and wind and ful electricity generation, including fossil fuels
fall in emissions is not spread across enough with carbon capture, hydrogen-based fuels, CSP
countries, despite superb performers such as (concentrated solar power), geothermal and
Vietnam showing that rapid growth is a realistic marine.
prospect. The report warned that this slowdown in
Over the decade to come, wind and solar other clean technologies could put emissions
need to sustain high average growth rates of 20% targets in danger.
every year across all countries in order to meet The IEA’s Net Zero by 2050 roadmap antici-
the 1.5 degree targets. pates that a quarter of the growth in clean elec-
The report noted that 20% growth had been tricity will still come from other technologies.
posted before, but needed to be repeated. Indeed, the report warned in 2021 that most
To increase solar and wind generation from of the global reductions in CO2 emissions
2,837 TWh in 2021 to the 14,978 TWh needed between now and 2030 in the net-zero pathway
by 2030 means 20% compound growth every come from technologies readily available today.
year. But in 2050, almost half the reductions come
In the last decade, wind and solar achieved an from technologies that are currently only at the
average 20% per year, and although the growth demonstration or prototype phase.
rate had been falling, it picked back up to 17% in
2021. Compound growth of 20% has been done Asian dominance
before, and it needs to be done again. Since 2000, China has provided two-thirds of
The report also warned that growth in clean the global growth in hydro generation, all the net
generation, other than wind and solar, stalled in growth of nuclear, and a third of the growth in
2021. bioenergy. The majority of the growth in hydro
Hydro fell 2% thanks to drier conditions, outside China was in India, Brazil and Russia.
especially in China. Nuclear increased 4% as Asia also dominated demand growth, in
existing reactors in France and Japan came back large part as economic growth boomed. In many
online and new reactors switched on in China countries, it followed on from a growth year
and Russia. Bioenergy grew 6%, although con- even in 2020 when the pandemic struck. China
cerns continue to be raised about its true emis- saw the biggest rise, with 14% higher electricity
sions impact. demand in 2021 compared to 2019.
Growth in bioenergy, hydro and nuclear in It is in Asia, therefore, where the main focus
the last 20 years was led by China. on reducing emissions and reaching will lie in
Emerging technologies commonly included the decades to come.™

Week 13 31•March•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P5