Global Energy Prospects: Roadmap for Doubling Renewables in the Global Energy Mix
Workshop organised jointly by IRENA and IEA-RETD, Friday 29 November 2013, MCE Centre, Brussels
On 29 Nov 2013 IRENA and IEA-RETD jointly organised a workshop that aimed to discuss key factors for achieving the goal of doubling the global renewable energy share by 2030 based on IRENA’s findings from 26 country studies. Its purpose was to identify opportunities for collaboration among international organisations, policy-makers, industry representatives, and scientists.
Please note that IRENA’s presentations included preliminary results, which have been revised based on the feedback received at the workshop. A REMAP 2030 Summary of Findings was released at the IRENA Assembly in January 2014.
The November meeting followed Europe’s Renewable Policy Conference (EREC 2013) in the same conference venue. Nearly forty people (including 7 IRENA staff and 1 IEA-RETD representative) participated in the workshop. The participants included intergovernmental agencies, government agencies, academic organizations, industry representatives, and private firms in the renewable energy field.
The workshop discussed ways to achieve the doubling of renewables in the global energy mix by 2030, based on the results from analysis conducted within IRENA's Renewables Roadmap for 2030 (REMAP 2030) initiative. The workshop was organized around four technical sessions (REMAP overall results, biomass, grid and storage needs in the roadmap, and socio-economic benefit of RE deployment) and roundtable discussion.
Session 1 – Key factors for achieving the doubling of a global renewable share by 2030:
Based on IRENA’s collaborative studies with 26 countries (REmap)
If all targets and policy goals till 2030, which are currently in place are to be met, the global share of modern RE (excluding use of traditional biomass) would increase from 9% in 2010 to 14,5 % in 2030, far from the global RE doubling goal. Country by country assessment of additional RE technology deployment options show that a doubling to 30 % is possible by 2030 and indicate that half of the options are cost effective, and the doubling would be close to cost neutral.
REMAP methodology: country case studies, key drivers, assumptions, sensitivities, global results
Dolf Gielen, IRENA
Comparing the REMAP results with integrated modeling approaches
Ruud Kempener, IRENA
Expert view on the global RE deployment potentials and costs
Cédric Philibert, International Energy Agency
Session 2 – Biomass cost and deployment potential
Biomass accounts for around 60 percent of the identified additional RE deployment options, although local resources are often scarce. A major switch from traditional biomass to advanced technologies would imply that global deployment of modern biomass would be doubled by 2030. How can sustainable use of biomass be ensured in the medium to long term?
IRENA’s cost and deployment potential assessment of biomass technology by 2030, by sector and by country: methodologies, assumptions, and key results
Deger Saygin, IRENA
Expert view on the biomass deployment potentials and costs
H Kopetz, World Biomass Association
Session 3 – Grid infrastructure to support renewable based power system
Accelerated deployment of renewables may necessitate solutions for integrating variable and/or decentralised renewable technologies in the long-run. What type of solutions need to be taken into account in a short, medium, and long-term?
Outlook for the share of variable renewable energy deployment and global solutions for integration
Ruud Kempener, IRENA
Insights from IEA-RETD assessments
David de Jager, IEA-RETD Operating Agent
Session 4 – Quantifying benefit of renewable energy
Benefits of replacing fossil based technologies with renewable based equivalents are wide spread, ranging from improved human health, mitigation of climate change, pollution reduction, job creation, community development, local energy alliance and other macro-economic impacts. How can these benefits be measured and integrated into the policy making process?
Socio-economic impacts of RE deployment
Arslan Khalid, IRENA
Insights from IEA-RETD assessments
David de Jager, IEA-RETD Operating Agent
Session 5 – Round table discussion: Next steps -- Tackling barriers and mobilising international cooperation
Achieving the global objective will require – depending on the resources and starting point – a differentiated approach per country. Yet, countries with sophisticated and comprehensive policy framework and sufficient policy implementation capacity tend to achieve better results. Exchange of best practice is recommended, notably in the area of sustainable use of biomass for energy and grid integration planning, as well as increased international cooperation for accelerated technology development and cost reductions.
SE4ALL Efficiency Hub
IEA
EREC
IEA-RETD
Policy framework, targets, and instruments for doubling of the global RE share
Deger Saygin, IRENA
For any additional information, please contact REmap@irena.org