Page 6 - AsiaElec Week 07 2023

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Asian power usage to account for

half of global total

ASIA THE Paris based International Energy “This and the rapidly growing population
Agency has released a report saying that by (in sub-Saharan Africa) means there is still a
WHAT: 2025, Asia will use half of all the electricity massive need for increased electrification in
Asian electricity use consumed globally. Africa” Sadamori continued.
climbing to half of It is thought that China’s increasingly afflu- The same report also predicted that a com-
global total ent 1.4 bn population will be behind a signif- bination of nuclear, and renewables will start
icant portion of Asia’s increase in the global to dominate the global increase in electricity By the middle
WHY: share of electricity used in just a decade; a production in the next few years.
Chinese post COVID similar report in 2015 previously indicated A warning was also issued regarding of the current
rebound needs powering that China was then using around 25% of all the susceptibility of renewable power
electricity produced. generation to weather and climate issues, decade China’s
WHAT NEXT: By the middle of the current decade Chi- however.
Weather related issues na’s share is predicted to increase to over 30%. “In addition to drought in Europe, there share is
on the horizon “China will be consuming more electricity were heat waves in India last year,” the report predicted to
than the European Union, United States, and went on to say. “Similarly, central and eastern
India combined” a statement released by the China were hit by heatwaves and drought. increase to over
IEA’s Japanese director of energy markets and The United States also saw severe winter
security, Keisuke Sadamori. storms in December, and all those events 30%.
Initial response in Asia has been mixed, put a massive strain on the power systems of
with many keen to point out that Asia is these regions” Sadamori added.
home to almost 60% of the global population, “As the clean energy transition gathers
including both China and India, but is only pace, the impact of weather events on elec-
now reaching a figure close to 50% of total tricity demand will intensify due to the
consumption. increased electrification of heating, while
In comparison, by 2025, Africa, with the share of weather dependent renewables
approximately 17.5% of the global popula- will continue to grow in the generation mix.
tion is still only predicted to be using just 3% In such a world, increasing the flexibility of
of all electricity produced; much of this total power systems while ensuring security of
will be in northern Africa where infrastruc- supply and resilience of networks will be
ture is more developed. crucial” the IEA report closed.™

P6 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 07 15 •February•2023