The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) officially confirmed that 2024 was a record year for renewables additions to global power capacity. Renewables represented more than 92 per cent of all new electricity generation capacity installed last year.
Renewable Capacity Statistics 2025 report released by IRENA shows a massive increase in renewable power capacity during 2024, reaching 4 448 gigawatts (GW). The 585 GW addition last year indicates a 92.5% share of the total capacity expansion, and a record rate of annual growth (15.1%).
Although 2024 marks yet another benchmark in renewable energy capacity and growth, progress still falls short of the 11.2 terawatts needed to align with the global goal to triple installed renewable energy capacity by 2030. To reach this goal, renewable capacity must now expand by 16.6 % annually until 2030, according to IRENA.
The amount of renewables added represents more than the total electricity capacity of Brazil and Japan combined.
Europe’s capacity grew by 9 per cent – with Germany contributing more than one-quarter of that growth. Africa’s capacity grew by almost 7 per cent.
In addition, progress yet again reflects significant geographic disparities. As in previous years, most of the increase occurred in Asia, with the greatest share being contributed by China – almost 64% of the global added capacity – while Central America and the Caribbean contributed the least at only 3.2%. The G7 and G20 countries respectively accounted for 14.3% and 90.3% of new capacity in 2024.
“The continuous growth of renewables we witness each year is evidence that renewables are economically viable and readily deployable. Each year they keep breaking their own expansion records, but we also face the same challenges of great regional disparities and the ticking clock as the 2030 deadline is imminent,” - said IRENA Director-General, Francesco La Camera.
“With economic competitiveness and energy security being increasingly a major global concern today, expanding renewable power capacity at speed equals tapping into business opportunities and addressing energy security quickly and sustainably. I call on governments to leverage on the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0) as an opportunity to outline a clear blueprint of their renewable energy ambitions, and on the international community to enhance collaborations in support of the ambitions of Global South’s countries,” he added.
With this regard, the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, said that renewable energy is not only powering down the fossil fuel age, the record-breaking growth is creating jobs, lowering energy bills and cleaning the air.
"Renewables renew economies. But the shift to clean energy must be faster and fairer – with all countries given the chance to fully benefit from cheap, clean renewable power,” - he added
Since 2010, the average cost of wind power has plunged 60%. Solar is 90% cheaper.
In 2023, clean energy sectors accounted for five per cent of economic growth in India and six in the US. It accounted for a fifth of China’s GDP growth, and a third of the EU’s.
Solar and wind energy continued to expand the most, jointly accounting for 96.6% of all net renewable additions in 2024. Over three-quarters of the capacity expansion was in solar energy which increased by 32.2%, reaching 1 865 GW, followed by wind energy which grew by 11.1%.
Technology highlights:
Solar: solar photovoltaics increased by 451.9 GW last year. China alone added 278 GW to the total expansion, followed by India (24.5 GW).
Hydropower (excluding pumped storage hydropower): capacity reached 1 283 GW, demonstrating a notable rebound from 2023, driven by China. Ethiopia, Indonesia, Nepal Pakistan, Tanzania, and Viet Nam added more than 0.5 GW each.
Wind: wind energy expansion declined slightly, to a total of 1 133 GW capacity by the end of 2024. Expansion was once again dominated by China and the United States (US).
Bioenergy: expansion rebounded in 2024, with an increase of 4.6 GW of capacity compared to an increase of 3.0 GW in 2023. The growth was driven by China and France with 1.3 GW of additions each.
Geothermal: geothermal energy increased by 0.4 GW overall, led by New Zealand, followed by Indonesia, Türkiye, and the US.
Off-grid electricity (excluding Eurasia, Europe and North America): capacity expansion nearly tripled, growing by 1.7 GW to reach 14.3 GW. Growth was dominated by off-grid solar energy which reached 6.3 GW by 2024.
On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy informed families of hostages held by the Palestinian militant group Hamas that he is w...
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported that explosions were heard and smoke was seen near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power P...
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday....
According to two Indian government sources speaking to Reuters, India will maintain its oil imports from Russia despite US President Donald Trump’s ...
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Pakistan on Saturday, August 2, for his first official two-day visit since taking office, at the invita...
EBRD stated that Ukraine urgently needs new generation capacity after Russian attacks severely damaged its power sector, creating a significant shortfall in electricity generation. In response, the bank announced the launch of the Ukraine Renewable Energy Risk Mitigation Mechanism.
Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s state-owned renewable energy company, and Iberdrola, one of the world’s largest energy firms, have signed two major agreements as part of their €15 billion (almost $17.6 bn) alliance to expand offshore wind and green hydrogen projects in the UK, Germany, and the United States.
Australia has pledged $283 million to support a green hydrogen project led by explosives manufacturer Orica, aiming to boost renewable energy production and reduce industrial emissions.
The world’s largest climate fund approved a record volume of climate finance for developing countries, scaling up its efforts in response to growing global demand for climate finance.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
'Superman' continued to dominate the summer box office, pulling in another $57.25 million in its second weekend, as theatres welcome a wave of blockbuster competition following a challenging few years for the film industry.
U.S. President Donald Trump has officially cancelled plans to develop new offshore wind projects in federal waters, reinforcing his administration’s pivot from renewable energy to fossil fuels.
European forests are absorbing significantly less carbon dioxide than a decade ago, putting the European Union’s ambitious climate goals in jeopardy, scientists from the EU’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) warned on Wednesday.
The United Nations' climate bureau have concerns that sky-high accommodation prices for this year's COP30 climate summit in Brazil could price poorer countries out of the negotiations, according to diplomats and a document seen by Reuters.
The Environmental Protection Agency has moved to erase the foundation of America’s climate regulations. On Tuesday, it unveiled a proposal to rescind the “endangerment finding,” the legal opinion that lets it curb greenhouse gas emissions.
They seem distant and frozen in time, but glaciers are melting fast, and the ripple effects are reaching every corner of the world. From rising seas to disrupted weather and water shortages, their disappearance is reshaping our shared future.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment