The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) forecasts 91% of global electricity to come from renewables by 2050, primarily from solar photovoltaics and wind energy, making large-scale renewables projects and the connection of large consumer loads a priority for the energy transition. Despite the record addition of around 582 GW of new renewable power capacity in 2024, achieving the global target of 11.2 terawatts of renewables capacity by 2030 still requires addressing major gaps. Currently, lagging infrastructure development and inefficiencies in power grids represent some of the barriers to meet electricity…
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Sustainable Aviation Fuels Projects to Gain New Support Through IRENA–ICAO Collaboration
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) launched ‘Finvest@ETAF’ to support Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and clean aviation energy projects globally. The portal, which is hosted on IRENA’s Energy Transition Accelerator Finanacing (ETAF) platform, was unveiled ahead of the 42nd ICAO Assembly, which kicks off in Montréal today. While demand reduction and energy efficiency improvements will play a critical role to align the sector with IRENA’s 1.5 °C scenario, SAFs could account for 40–65% of the sector’s emission cuts by 2050, according to ICAO.…
Read MoreIRENA’s New Podcast Series “All Things Renewable” Goes Live
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) officially launched its new podcast series “All Things Renewable” today. Through interviews with IRENA energy experts, the podcast explains the work of the Agency and provides insights on the latest trends in the global shift towards a sustainable energy future. Each episode focuses on key knowledge topics of IRENA – from renewable energy financing, costs, policies and technological innovations to the socio-economic impacts of the energy transition. Ten episodes are readily available on irena.org/podcast, Spotify, Pocket Casts and soon on Apple Podcasts, with the…
Read More91% of New Renewable Projects Now Cheaper Than Fossil Fuels Alternatives
Renewables maintain their cost leadership in global power markets, IRENA’s new report on Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2024 confirms. The report confirms that renewables maintained their price advantage over fossil fuels, with cost declines driven by technological innovation, competitive supply chains, and economies of scale. In 2024, solar photovoltaics (PV) were, on average, 41% cheaper than the lowest-cost fossil fuel alternatives, while onshore wind projects were 53% cheaper. Onshore wind remained the most affordable source of new renewable electricity at USD 0.034/kWh, followed by solar PV at USD 0.043/kWh.…
Read MoreIRENA to Host Secretariat for Global Coalition on Energy Planning
The outgoing G20 President Brazil has invites IRENA to serve as the Secretariat of the Global Coalition on Energy Planning (GCEP). At a time when developing countries need to increase clean energy investments six-fold to meet global climate goals, Brazil’s Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira De Oliveira, officially handed over the invitation to IRENA’s Director-General Francesco La Camera during the side event “Global Coalition for Energy Planning – Shaping the Agenda for Action” today ahead of the 15th IRENA Assembly. The establishment of GCEP was announced by the…
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