Climatic disasters are increasing. Consequently, renewable energies are experiencing significant growth in France, with key figures illustrating their growing impact. Focus on renewable energies.
Renewable energy market: a promising future?
To reduce dependence on fossil fuels, emitting greenhouse gas, the development of renewable energies is a major issue. These are very diversified: solar radiation, force of the wind or water, geothermal energy, warmth of wood and resources from biomass, organic part of waste … Thus, the share of renewable energies in global production of electricity is constantly increasing. In 2023, wind and solar energies produced the largest share of new energies brought to the world mix together, according to the specialized carbon brief site.
Renewable energies were at the origin of the production of 30 % of global electricity and it is expected that it reaches 37 % by early 2025, according to forecasts from the annual “electricity 2024” report from the International Energy Agency. With the massive investments made by China and India in this market, especially in the development of wind and solar megaprojets, their future is promising.
What are the forecasts?
Between 2024 and 2029, analysts of the Statista market Insights estimate that global growth will be between 40 % and 50 % of the production of solar and wind electricity. However, if hydroelectricity would be the first source of electricity of renewable origin by 2023, it is provided that global production of wind and solar energy exceeds that of hydraulic energy. In 2023, renewable energies represent 15.4 % of French primary energy consumption. The significant growth in the primary production of renewable energy since 2005 (+ 96 %) is mainly due to the rise of heat pumps, the wind sector, biogas and the photovoltaic sector.
France is the second primary producer of renewable energy in Europe in 2022, after Germany. According to European calculation rules, the share of renewable energies reaches 22.2 % of gross energy consumption of energy in 2023. In 2022, France was at the 15ᵉ position of the European Union for this indicator.
Wind and solar has exceeded fossil fuels in the EU
The year 2024 marks a turning point in electricity production in Europe. According to the monitoring of Think Thank specializing in EMPER energy issues, in the first half, wind and solar energies produced more electricity in the European Union (EU) than all fossil fuels. Two renewable energies contributed 30 % to the EU electric mix from January to June, more than gas, coal and oil combined (27 %).
In addition, by adding the other renewable energies – mainly hydroelectricity, whose production is experiencing a strong rebound this year – more than half of the electricity generated in the region is now resulting from renewable sources. ESAGER analysts indicate that strong growth in wind and solar has been the main factor in the decline in fossil fuels in the European electric mix in the first half. Solar production increased by 20 % (+23 TWh) and wind production by 9.5 % (+21 TWh) compared to the first six months of 2023. Together, wind and solar increased by 13 % (+45 TWh).
The impact of war in Ukraine
It should be noted that following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, most EU countries accelerated their plans aimed at reducing their dependence on fossil fuels. Electricity production from coal has dropped sharply in the first half, with a drop of 24 % compared to the same period in 2023 (-39 TWh), and that from the gas decreased by 14 % (-29 TWh). This evolution follows down drops made the previous year. In third position, nuclear energy currently produces around 20 % of EU electricity.
