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India Now World’s 3rd-Largest Solar Power Generator Outpacing Japan

News On Time Desk 08 May 2024

New Delhi: India became the world’s third-largest solar power generator in 2023 surpassing Japan, as it has climbed from ninth ranking in 2015, read a report from global energy think tank Ember.

The Global Electricity Review 2024 report was published On Wednesday, gave a detailed insight into the global power landscape in 2023, drawing on data from 80 nations that represent 92 percent of global electricity demand, along with historical data from 215 countries.

“India’s growth in solar generation in 2023 pushed the country past Japan to become the world’s third-largest solar power generator. It has climbed from ranking ninth in 2015,” the report said.

The use of solar energy has been rapidly increasing in recent years. According to reports, the world’s solar generation in 2023 was six times more than that of 2015. India also saw a seventeen-fold increase in solar generation during the same period, with its share of solar generation rising from 0.5 percent in 2015 to 5.8 percent in 2023. India experienced the world’s fourth-largest surge in solar generation in 2023, adding 18 Terawatt hours (TWh) to its capacity, following China (+156 TWh), the United States (+33 TWh), and Brazil (+22 TWh). These top four countries collectively accounted for 75 percent of global solar growth that year.

According to the IEA Net Zero Emissions scenario, solar energy’s contribution is projected to rise to 22 percent of global electricity generation by 2030. The aim of tripling global renewables capacity by 2030, as agreed upon at COP28, holds promise in advancing this trajectory.

India is one of the few countries committed to tripling its renewable energy capacity by 2030. However, Ember’s analysis suggests that India will need to significantly increase its annual capacity additions to achieve this ambitious target.