L R AS Published on Sunday 3 May 2020 - n° 320 - Categories:various sectors
Falling demand for electricity is a historic shock, according to the IEA
The pandemic is leading to a historic drop in the demand for electricity. It is a historic shock to the global energy system, says the International Energy Agency. While solar and wind power are doing rather well
Due to the priority of injection, the fall in demand for coal, oil and gas is considerable. At the same time, it will lead to a record annual drop in carbon emissions of almost 8%.
As a result, RE sees its share in electricity supply jump significantly (+5% in 2020 according to the IEA) due to the decrease in demand for fossil fuels.
The sharp reduction in global CO2 emissions in the first months of 2020 will be mitigated by the rise in emissions in the second half of the year.
PV Magazine of 30 April
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Further details are given in another article in PV Magazine :
The IEA notes that the decoupled nature of renewable energy production and demand has proven to be a strength during the crisis. The priority given to renewables by political authorities is a key reason why solar, hydro and wind power have shown resilience in the face of an unprecedented drop in energy demand.
According to the IEA, global energy demand will fall by 6% this year. Coal-fired power generation will fall by more than 10% in 2020. Gas consumption will experience its largest decline ever - 5% - despite low prices. Oil demand will fall by 9% this year due to the collapse of road and air transport. Nuclear-generated electricity is expected to fall by 3% from last year's record level.
The share of solar and wind power in the generation mix rose to 9% in the first quarter, compared with 8% in the same period last year. This increase is due to more than 100 GW of solar generation capacity being added in 2019 with around 60 GW of wind power installations.
Renewables are the only energy source likely to experience growth in demand during the remainder of 2020, regardless of the duration of the lock-up or the strength of the recovery.
. At the same time, it will lead to a record annual drop in carbon emissions of almost 8%. Nearly 2.6 gigatonnes. The rebound in emissions could be abrupt, as it was after the global financial crisis of 2008 - unless economic stimulus packages introduced by governments combine recovery with low-carbon conditions.
PV Magazine of 30 April
