India Overtakes Japan to Rank as World's Third Largest Solar Power Generator in 2023

In a significant leap forward in the global renewable energy landscape, India has surpassed Japan to secure the position as the world's third-largest solar power generator in 2023. This milestone was highlighted in a recent report by Ember, a leading global energy think tank, which also noted that solar energy contributed to a record 5.5 per cent of global electricity this year. Specifically, India's contribution from solar reached 5.8 per cent of its total electricity generation, aligning with the upward trend in renewable energy usage worldwide.

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The surge in renewable energy, particularly wind and solar, has propelled the share of renewables in the global electricity mix to over 30 per cent. Furthermore, when including nuclear power, clean energy sources now account for nearly 40 per cent of total global electricity generation. This shift has led to the carbon intensity of global electricity hitting a new low, marking a 12 per cent decrease from its peak in 2007.

However, the potential for even greater renewable energy generation was somewhat curtailed in 2023 due to a significant drop in hydropower production, attributed to drought conditions in China and other regions. Despite these challenges, solar energy maintained its position as the fastest-growing electricity source globally for the 19th consecutive year. Remarkably, solar added more than double the new electricity capacity worldwide compared to coal this year.

India's solar generation saw an impressive increase of 18 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2023, positioning it fourth globally behind China, the United States, and Brazil. These four nations collectively contributed to 75 per cent of the global increase in solar generation for the year. The report further highlights that global solar generation in 2023 was over six times higher than in 2015.

Aditya Lolla, Ember's Asia Programme director, emphasized the broader implications of increasing clean electricity. He stated, "Increasing clean electricity is not just for reducing carbon emissions in the power sector. It is also needed to meet the rising electricity demand in an increasingly electrified economy and to decouple economic growth from emissions, which is crucial for tackling climate change."

With nearly half of India's annual carbon dioxide emissions stemming from electricity generation (1.18 gigatonnes in 2023), accelerating the shift towards cleaner energy sources is crucial for India to achieve its developmental and climate objectives. The country has committed to achieving 50 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.

At the United Nations COP28 climate change conference held last December, world leaders reached a historic agreement to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030. This ambitious target aligns with the International Energy Agency's (IEA) Net Zero Emissions scenario, which suggests that solar power could account for 22 per cent of global electricity generation by 2030. Tripling global renewable energy capacity alongside doubling energy efficiency is deemed essential by the IEA for limiting average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and preventing further climate impacts.

India stands among the few countries with plans to triple its renewable capacity by the end of this decade. According to Ember's analysis, this will require a significant increase in annual capacity additions for India to meet its ambitious target.