According to the release, the global momentum for green hydrogen is growing as a cornerstone of the shift away from fossil fuels. The rapid uptake of green hydrogen is essential for sectors like aviation, international shipping and heavy industry, where energy intensity is high and emissions are hardest to abate. The roadmaps show the top ten measures and critical timelines for their implementation in areas such as cost reduction, demand growth, international standards, infrastructure, and technology developments measures needed to boost the green hydrogen economy globally and enhance public-private dialogue to turn industry recommendations into concrete policy measures and accelerate action on the path to net-zero.
Download the Green Hydrogen roadmaps HERE .
(Source: IRENA, Website PR, 4 Nov., 2021) Contact: IRENA, +97124179000, info@irena.org, www.irena.org;
World Economic Forum, www.weforum.org
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The report notes that while solar and wind energy jobs continued leading the global renewable energies sector -- accounting for a total of 4 million and 1.25 million jobs respectively -- liquid biofuels employment decreased as demand for transport fuels fell.
China held a 39 pct share of renewable energy jobs worldwide in 2020, followed by Brazil, India, the U.S. and members of the European Union. Many other countries are also creating jobs in renewables. Among them are Vietnam and Malaysia, key solar PV exporters; Indonesia and Colombia, with large agricultural supply chains for biofuels; and Mexico and the Russian Federation, where wind power is growing. In Sub-Saharan Africa, solar jobs are expanding in diverse countries like Nigeria, Togo and South Africa, according to the IRENA report.
(Source: IRENA, Oct., 2021) Contact: IRENA, www.irena.org
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Under the agreement, IRENA and the MEME Morocco will work together to develop technology and market outlook studies, craft public-private models of cooperation in the hydrogen space, explore the development of new hydrogen value chains and lay the groundwork for the trading of green hydrogen at a national and regional level. The two parties will also conduct joint analyses to explore the socio-economic benefits of renewables, emphasising the development of new value chains, job creation at the national level and lessons learned to the broader region.
At the end of 2020, the Kingdom of Morocco had a total installed renewable energy capacity of almost 3.5 GW, according to IRENA. (Source: IRENA, PR, 14 June, 2021) Contact: IRENA, +971 241 79000, info@irena.org, www.irena.org
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IRENA Dir. General Francesco La Camera notes that over 170 countries have set renewables targets, many of which are included in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement on climate change.
To meet the Paris Agreement 1.5 degree C goal, the report notes the following could be used in combination: Energy efficiency and circular economy measures; decarbonized power systems with supply dominated by renewables; electrification of end-use sectors, with the increased use of electricity in buildings, industry, and transport; expanded production and use of green hydrogen, synthetic fuels, and feedstocks to pursue indirect electrification; and targeted use of sustainably sourced biomass.
According to the report, financial markets and investors have begun directing capital away from fossil fuels and towards other energy technologies including renewables. However, to achieve the 1.5 degrees C climate ambition, energy transition investment will have to increase by 30 pct over currently planned investments, to an average annual level of $4.4 trillion. The report also suggests that national social and economic policies will play important roles in delivering the energy transition at the necessary speed.
Preview the World Energy Transitions Outlook report HERE. (Source: IRENA, Apr., 2021) Contact: IRENA, www.irena.org
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The report notes green hydrogen could play a critical role in decarbonisation strategies, particularly so where direct electrification is challenging in harder-to-abate sectors, such as steel, chemicals, long-haul transport, shipping and aviation. However, regulations, market design and the costs of power and electrolyser production are still major barrier to the uptake of green hydrogen.
The study identifies key strategies and policies to reduce costs for electrolysers through innovation and improved performance aiming to scale up electrolysers from today's megawatt to multi-gigawatt (GW) levels. Standardization and mass-manufacturing of the electrolyser stacks, efficiency in operation as well as the optimisation of material procurement and supply chains will be equally important to bring down costs. For that, today's manufacturing capacity of less than 1 GW would have to massively grow beyond 100 GW in the next 10 to 15 years.
Read the full Green Hydrogen Cost Reduction: Scaling up Electrolysers to Meet the 1.5C Climate Goal report HERE.
(Source: IRENA, PR, 17 Dec., 2020) Contact: IRENA, +971 241 79000, info@irena.org, www.irena.org
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Ocean energy presently accounts for roughly 530 MW of installed generation capacity globally. Tidal stream and wave projects currently under construction could add another 3 GW of installed capacity within the next five years -- 55 pct of it in Europe, 28 pct in Asia-Pacific and 13 pct in the Middle East and Africa.
IRENA foresees the potential growth of ocean energy of up to 10 GW of installed capacity by 2030 globally.
Not-for-profit Ocean Energy Europe is the largest network of ocean energy professionals in the world. Over 120 organisations, including Europe's leading utilities, industrialists and research institutes, trust OEE to represent the interests of Europe's ocean energy sector, according to its website.
(Source: IRENA, Ocean Energy Europe, Energy Global, Dec., 2020)
Contact: Ocean Energy Europe, Remi Gruet, CEO, +32 2 400 10 40, www.oceanenergy-europe.eu; IRENA, +971 241 79000, info@irena.org, www.irena.org
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Almost 23,000 wind turbines were installed in 2019. The Chinese market has been (and remains) almost entirely supplied by domestic companies, which account for around 510,000 jobs or 44 pct of the global number. European countries where wind giants Vestas and Siemens Gamesa alone account for one-third of global turbine production dominate the rest of global production, with 127,000 jobs.
The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) estimates that 344 GW of new offshore and offshore wind power capacity may be installed globally. New installations could potentially create an addition 2.4 million job-years, up from 395,000 job-years created in 2020 to 542,000 in 2024. (Source: IRENA, Sept., 2020) Contact: IRENA, +971 241 79000, info@irena.org, www.irena.org; Global Wind Energy Council, www.gwec.net
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IRENA notes the majority of biofuel processing jobs are concentrated in the agriculture sector and involve planting and harvesting feedstock, but these jobs are typically higher-skilled and better-paying than other forms of agriculture work. Latin America accounts for 43 pct of global biofuels jobs, with Asia hosting 34 pct. (Source: IRENA, Sept., 2020) Contact: IRENA, +971 241 79000, info@irena.org, www.irena.org
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Specific to PV solar, 87 pct of all jobs were concentrated in ten countries with China in the lead with 2.2 million jobs, way ahead of the U.S. with around 240,000 solar energy jobs. (Source: IRENA, Sept., 2020) Contact: IRENA, +971 241 79000, info@irena.org, www.irena.org
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The AU and IRENA collaboration complements ongoing AU programmes, which include: the Africa Bioenergy Policy Framework and Guidelines; Renewable Energy in African Island States; Development of Small Hydropower in Africa; Geothermal Risk Mitigation Facility; and the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) as well as the Strategy for integrated approach for provision of basic infrastructure in rural and remote areas of Africa. This is in addition to other African initiatives such as Desert to Power, Coalition for Sustainable Energy Access, and the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI) -- an Africa owned and led drive to scale up renewable energy -- consolidating efforts from the international community to address the needs of African countries.
The AU and IRENA will also collaborate in the context of IRENA's Clean Energy Corridors initiatives in East, West and Southern Africa focused on advancing the deployment of renewables through the creation of larger and more robust power markets encouraging cross-border trade of renewable power.
These commitments build on existing cooperation between the AU and IRENA to strengthen the enabling environment for low-carbon, climate-resilient renewable energy investment as the continent seeks to raise its renewable energy ambition.
(Source: African Union Commission, IRENA, Modern Diplomacy, 20 April, 2020) Contact: African Union Commission, www.au.int/en/commission; IRENA, www.irena.org
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In a recently released statement, the IRENA director said government economic responses to the recovery effort must look to the medium and long-term and should use the UN 2030 agenda. (Source: IRENA, ENB, 9 April, 2020) Contact: IRENA, www.irena.org
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The IRENA analysis notes that when paired with renewable generators, batteries help provide reliable and cheaper electricity in isolated grids and to off-grid communities. The analysis also notes utility-scale battery storage systems are being deployed primarily in Australia, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, the United States and other European countries. Globally, energy storage deployment in emerging markets is expected to increase by over 40 pct each year until 2025. The report adds that although utility-scale stationary batteries currently dominate global energy storage, small-scale battery storage is expected to significantly increase by 2030.
Read IRENA's full Innovation landscape briefs on Utility-scale batteries and Behind-the-Meter batteries. HERE.
(Source: IRENA, 29 Mar., 2020) Contact: IRENA, www.irena.org
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This report outlines the role of wind power in the transformation of the global energy system based on IRENA's climate resilient pathway, specifically the growth in wind power deployments that would be needed in the next three decades to achieve the Paris climate goals.
Download the IRENA Future of Wind Energy Report HERE. (Source: IRENA, reve, 25 Jan., 2020) Contact: IRENA, www.irena.org
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According to the report, "2014 witnessed the kingdom's serious development of the solar and wind energy projects supplying clean energy to the national grid with a total capacity of approximately 1,500 megawatts, which account for some 20 pct of total electricity generated."
(Source: IRENA, Jordan Weekly, 26 Jan., 2020) Contact: IRENA, www.irena.org
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The loan will finance the construction of a bio-diesel plant an the cultivation of additional Jatropha plants in Mudzi.
(Source: IRENA, Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority, Sunday Mail, Bulawayo24News, Jan., 2020)Contact: Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority, www.zera.co.zw; IRENA Abu Dhabia Fund for Development, www.irena.org
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To address the issue, the government has applied for $12 million from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to support its Jatropha bio-diesel project and various research programmes aimed at improving jatropha plant cultivation and processing.
The plant is also expected to blend conventional diesel with jatropha biodiesel at 2 pct or greater.
(Source: Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority, Bulawayo24News, Dec. 6, 2019)Contact: Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority, www.zera.co.zw
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The first is an energy pathway set by current and planned policies. The second is a cleaner climate-resilient pathway based largely on more ambitious, yet achievable, uptake of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures, which limits the rise in global temperature to well below 2 degrees C and closer to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels and is aligned within the envelope of scenarios presented in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 degree C.
This report outlines the role of wind power in the transformation of the global energy system based on IRENA's climate resilient pathway, specifically the growth in wind power deployments that would be needed in the next three decades to achieve the Paris climate goals.
Download the IRENA report HERE, (Source: IRENA, Oct., 2019)
Contact: IRENA, www.irena.org
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When fully operational, the Kivu 56 project is expected to supply 56 MW of power to Rwanda's national grid under a 25-year concession agreement. Two private investors -- Contour Global and Symbion Power -- are currently extracting methane gas from Lake Kivu.
Lake Kivu is one of the African Great Lakes. It lies on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and is in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift. Lake Kivu empties into the Ruzizi River, which flows southwards into Lake Tanganyika.
(Source: Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board, Gasmeth Energy, New Times, Feb., 2019) Contact: Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board, minirena.gov.rw
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The project will contribute to Mauritius achieving its national goal of 35 pct renewable electricity by 2025.
Since 1971, ADFD has financed development projects in 88 countries across the globe, including 40 African nations. (Source: ADFD, arabianindustry.com, 13 Jan., 2019) Contact: ADFD, Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General , www.adfd.ae/english/Pages/Home.aspx
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According to the release, IREA membership means Canada will promote its expertise in the development and deployment of renewable energy technologies and increase the presence and visibility of its cleantech sector internationally and demonstrate its leadership in renewable energy. (Source: Natural Resources Canada, PR, Canadian Biomass, 9 Jan., 2019)
Contact: International Renewable Energy Agency, www.irena.org
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