【Ember】2025年全球电力评论报告_118页_15mb

2024 Global Electricity Review Summary

Core Content

Ember's 2024 Global Electricity Review highlights the significant growth of renewable energy, particularly solar, which has become the engine of the global energy transition. Clean power surpassed 40% of global electricity generation for the first time since the 1940s, reaching 40.9% in 2024. This growth was driven by a record +29% increase in solar generation and a rebound in hydro power after a drought in 2023. However, heatwaves in 2024 led to a +1.4% increase in fossil fuel generation, resulting in a +1.6% rise in global power sector emissions to a record 14.6 billion tonnes of CO2.

Main Points

• Clean Power Milestone:

  • Clean power (renewables + nuclear) reached 40.9% of global electricity generation in 2024, up from 39.4% in 2023.
  • Hydro remained the largest clean electricity source at 14.3%, followed by nuclear at 9.0%, while wind and solar rapidly gained ground.
  • Solar was the fastest-growing source of electricity, with a +29% increase in generation and a +474 TWh absolute rise, meeting 40% of global electricity demand growth.
  • Wind and hydro also saw growth, with wind adding 182 TWh (+7.9%) and hydro reaching a new record output of +182 TWh.

• Electricity Demand Growth:

  • Global electricity demand grew by +4.0% in 2024, the third-highest growth rate in the last decade.
  • The growth was amplified by heatwaves, which increased cooling demand by 238 TWh and reduced heating demand by 29 TWh, resulting in a net temperature-related increase of 208 TWh.
  • Without the impact of heatwaves, the growth rate would have been 3.3%, similar to 2023.

• Fossil Fuel Dynamics:

  • Fossil generation increased by +245 TWh in 2024, driven mainly by temperature-related demand.
  • Clean generation met 96% of the non-temperature-related electricity demand growth, highlighting the rapid transition to renewables.
  • China and India are decoupling electricity demand growth from fossil fuel expansion, with China seeing a +116 TWh increase in fossil generation and India a +67 TWh increase, both significantly lower than 2023.
  • The US saw a +34 TWh increase in fossil generation, mainly from gas, following a decline in 2023.

Key Trends and Implications

• Solar Growth:

  • Solar generation doubled every three years, reaching 2,131 TWh in 2024.
  • Solar capacity installations hit a record 585 GW in 2024, more than double that of 2022.
  • Solar is now large enough to power all of India's electricity demand and has avoided 1,658 million tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2024.

• Clean Energy Expansion:

  • Clean electricity sources (renewables + nuclear) met 79% of the global electricity demand increase.
  • The global power sector is on a path to being dominated by clean generation and flexible technologies such as battery storage, which is almost doubling in capacity.

• Future Outlook:

  • Even with 4.1% annual electricity demand growth until 2030, clean generation is expected to grow fast enough to keep pace.
  • China and India are key players in this transition, with their clean energy growth potentially tipping the global balance towards a decline in fossil generation.
  • The global electricity system is now dominated by two mega-trends: the rapid rise of solar and the acceleration of electricity demand due to new technologies like EVs, heat pumps, and data centres.

Summary of Data

• Renewables:

  • Total generation: 8,580 TWh (up 49% from 2022).
  • Solar: 2,131 TWh (+29%), Wind: 1,100 TWh (+7.9%), Hydro: 1,578 TWh (+182 TWh).
  • Other renewables: 260 TWh (bioenergy, geothermal, etc.).

• Nuclear:

  • Generated +69 TWh (+2.5%), with increased utilisation in France.

• Fossil Fuels:

  • Coal: 34.4% of global generation, Gas: 22%, Other fossil fuels: 2.8%.
  • Total fossil generation: +245 TWh (+1.4%), with heatwaves being the main driver.

Conclusion

The 2024 Global Electricity Review underscores the accelerating shift towards renewable energy, with solar at the forefront. While heatwaves temporarily increased fossil fuel use, the long-term trend shows clean energy outpacing demand growth. The report highlights that China and India are leading this transition, and the combination of solar and battery storage is set to drive further decarbonisation. The global power sector is on the cusp of a significant transformation, with clean generation becoming the dominant force in meeting rising electricity demand.