In order to achieve the climate targets, around 37 fewer gigatons of CO2 must be emitted per year by 2050. The share of renewable energies (RE) is already growing exponentially worldwide with over 500 GW of wind and PV newly installed in 2023 alone. The existing capacity already amounts to 3,900 GW and is set to grow to 10,000 GW by 2030.
5 theses on the energy transition
The next few years are crucial for the success of the energy transition. A drastic change is already taking place in how societies generate energy, says Professor Stephan Rupp.
5 theses on the energy transition
The next few years are crucial for the success of the energy transition. A drastic change is already taking place in how societies generate energy, says Professor Stephan Rupp.
Such a development is often underestimated. What are the next steps in this global transformation process and how will they affect the electricity grids? Professor Stephan Rupp, grid expert and business developer at Reinhausen, has put forward 5 theses on this topic.
1 Costs for renewables will fall continuously
Electricity from renewable energies is already the cheapest option in most regions of the world. The cost of electricity for newly commissioned photovoltaic projects fell by around 85% between 2010 and 2020 alone, onshore wind power has become 56 percent cheaper, and offshore wind power 48 percent cheaper. At the same time, the price of fossil fuels is rising. This will further accelerate expansion.
85 %
Reduction in the average global electricity costs for renewable energies over the last 10 years.
2 Accelerated restructuring of the sectors
Today, around 80 percent of total energy still comes from fossil sources. If the climate targets are to be achieved, this proportion must fall to 60 percent by 2030 and finally shrink to just 20 percent by 2050. The key to this lies in the rapid conversion of industrial processes, heating and transportation.
80 - 60 - 20
The share of fossil fuels should drop in these steps up to 2050.
3 Worldwide electrification
As a result of the transformation in all sectors, the share of electrical energy to total energy will increase from the current 20 percent to 30 percent by 2030 and ultimately to a full 50 percent by 2050. This means that the demand for electrical energy will more than double by 2050 (factor 2.5). Measured in terms of connected load, the electricity grids will have to absorb ten times the amount of renewable generators.
10 x
The electricity grids must connect ten times the amount of RE by 2050.
„Electrification in the energy industry and the expansion of the grids are the cornerstones of the energy transition.“
4 Expansion of the electricity grids
An energy supply that is increasingly based on electricity and which should be reliable and stable requires more efficient and, above all, more flexible grids. According to estimates by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), investments of around USD 25 trillion are required to connect 25,000 GW, which corresponds to around USD 1,000/kW.
Up to
25 trillion dollars
- that is the estimated total requirement for investment in the electricity grids.
5 Key role for new operating resources
New technologies and innovations will play a key role in this process and automated control systems for operating equipment, energy storage systems, efficient converters and transmission technologies will determine the success of this transformation.
30 %
of the total investment will be for digitalization, automation, grid management systems (such as smart grids), grid protection and control as well as maintenance and repair.
Something is coming our way
Electrification and the expansion of the electricity grids are the cornerstones of the energy transition. This is where the foundations for a sustainable and future-proof energy supply are being laid.
More about this topic can be found in our magazine ONLOAD:
