India’s renewable energy growth rate dipped to 8.3 per cent in 2020: BP Statistical Review

The country produced 151.2 Terawatt Hours of renewable power last calendar year as against 139.2 Terawatt Hour produced in the previous year (2019).

New Delhi : The rate of growth of power generation from renewable energy sources in India dipped to 8.3 per cent in 2020 as against the average growth rate of 17.4 per cent between 2009 and 2019, according to the bp Statistical Review of World Energy released today.

The country produced 151.2 Terawatt Hours of renewable power last calendar year — marked by the impact of the Covid pandemic on global energy demand — as against 139.2 Terawatt Hour produced in the previous year (2019).

For comparison, China’s renewable energy generation grew 16 per cent to 863 Terawatt Hour in 2020, as against the average growth rate of 31.3 per cent recorded in the 2009-2019 period.

The 70th annual edition of the review — among the most sought after annual reports in the energy sector globally — captures the dramatic impact the global pandemic had on energy markets and how the year may help shape future global energy trends.

“Both primary energy consumption and carbon emissions from energy use fell at their fastest rate seen since the Second World War, while renewable energy continued its trajectory of strong growth, with wind and solar power recording their largest ever annual increase,” the report said.

In 2020, global primary energy consumption fell 4.5 per cent – the largest annual decline since 1945. This fall was driven mainly by oil, which accounted for almost three quarters of the net decline. Natural gas prices declined to multi-year lows but the share of gas in primary energy reached a record high of 24.7 per cent.

“Wind, solar and hydroelectricity generation all grew despite the fall in overall energy demand. Wind and solar capacity increased by a colossal 238 GW in 2020 – 50 per cent larger than at any time in history,” the report said.

By country, the US, India and Russia saw the largest declines in energy consumption while China saw the largest increase (2.1 per cent), one of only a handful of countries where energy demand grew last year. Also, carbon emissions from energy use fell by over 6 per cent in 2020, the largest decline since 1945.

Source : economictimes