The technical paper on Critical Materials for the Energy Transition emphasises that an accelerated energy transition requires a growing supply of critical materials, with Chapter 7 of the IRENA’s World Energy Transition Outlook 2022 further elaborating on these materials. IRENA continues to publish technical papers on groups of critical materials: the first one focuses on lithium and this second paper focuses on rare earth elements.

This paper discusses the global lithium industry structure and major players while reflecting on current costs changes and their further implications, the role of the governments could play to de-risk lithium supply and the opportunities innovation can play in reducing demand growth.

This paper will assess how the growth of renewables will put critical materials at the centre of the energy transformation, with the objective of highlighting the criticalities related to the sector and of identifying how technological developments and innovation can positively reduce geopolitical risks.

This paper explores the status and potential of carbon capture and storage (CCS), carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies and their roles alongside renewables in the deep decarbonisation of energy systems.

This paper analyses the strategies of seven international oil companies (IOCs) in the context of energy transition.

The energy sector lacks a standard definition of subsidies. This paper contributes to research on how subsidies are calculated – for fossil-fuels, renewables and the sector as a whole.

This report offers detailed estimates of the biomass resource potential in Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda. With conversion to advanced liquid biofuels, sustainable biomass feedstock could potentially meet or exceed the five countries’ combined fuel needs for transport in 2050, according IRENA estimates.

This report is the first-ever projection of PV panel waste volumes to 2050. It highlights that recycling or repurposing solar PV panels at the end of their roughly 30-year lifetime can unlock an estimated stock of 78 million tonnes of raw materials and other valuable components globally by 2050.

Increasing economies of scale, more competitive supply chains and further technological improvements will continue reducing the costs of solar and wind power. The same factors will also boost the availability of these key renewable power sources at night and in varying weather conditions.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation is poised to revolutionise the electrical system in countries around the world. From around 2% in 2016, the share of global electricity generated from solar PV to grow to as much as 13% by 2030, according to this report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The solar industry’s expansion is driven primarily by cost reductions, with the report anticipating further cost declines by up to 59% in ten years.

Irrigation improves yields, reduces vulnerability to changing rainfall patterns, and enables multiple cropping practices. This can stimulate socio-economic development in the agriculture sector helping the fight against poverty.

This working paper draws on engagement with a Transport Action Team of experts and expands on the transport-related findings published in IRENA’s report REmap: Roadmap for a Renewable Energy Future, 2016 Edition.

This report highlights the role of islands in global efforts against climate change. It highlights transitions to renewables in the power, including planning and implementation, enabling business models and transition tools.

The report examines the specificities of mini-grids connected to solar, biomass, wind and small hydropower, or some combination of these with other energy sources, and discusses the key factors influencing investors in mini-grid projects.

The report discusses challenges in policy making and proposes a co-ordinated effort to collect data on the installed costs of solar PV in Africa, across all market segments to improve the efficiency of policy support and accelerate deployment.

This report examines ground-breaking innovations that can help to unlock future power supply for unserved areas and communities through the rapid roll-out of mini-grids based on solar, wind or other renewable sources.

The size of wind turbines has continuously increased over several decades to boost power generation from this key renewable energy source. As this technology brief from IRENA and IEA-ETSAP notes, large-scale wind farms and larger turbines drive the ongoing reduction of electricity costs.

IRENA’s Renewable Energy Innovation Outlook series analyses the emerging developments making renewable energy technologies (RETs) increasingly competitive in the world’s energy markets and systems.

IRENA’s Renewable Energy Innovation Outlook series analyses the emerging developments making renewable energy technologies (RETs) increasingly competitive in the world’s energy markets and systems.

This report explores potential for urban communities to scale-up renewables by 2030, based on estimated energy use 3,649 cities around the world. By highlighting the best practices, it examines the policies and technologies by which cities can bring about a renewable energy future.

This field guide presents various methodologies for estimating biogas capacity, production and consumption. Such information can be integrated into national censuses, household surveys and energy surveys.

This brief summarizes the opportunities floating foundations offer to the offshore wind industry as they allow access to deep-water sites, ease turbine set-up and tend to have lower environmental impact than fixed-bottom designs.

Biomass has an auspicious future in the world’s supply of renewable energy. REmap 2030, the global roadmap developed by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), foresees a major role for modern, sustainable biomass technologies in efforts to double the share of renewables in the energy mix.

This brief examines salinity gradient energy technologies, one of the key methods for tapping renewable energy from the world’s oceans.