Countries shifting away from fossil fuels:
It’s fair to say that fossil fuels have got a pretty bad rep, and for good reason. Not only are these finite resources fast running out, they’re also incredibly polluting as they release harmful gases which contribute to global warming. Thankfully, use of renewable energy sources including solar, wind, geothermal and hydroelectric power is on the rise. Here are the countries which have already succeeded in providing more electricity from renewables than from fossil fuels, along with a few that are coming close.
Australia:
In early November this year, renewables overtook fossil fuels to make up half of electricity supplied to the national grid – although only briefly. According to data provided by the National Electricity Market, at 11.50am on 6 November, renewables made up 50.2% of the power supply in the five states served by the market. Although the figure fell back down to around 30% for the rest of the day, recent analysis has found that the country could reach 50% renewables by 2030.
The country has many ideal features for harnessing renewable energy. For starters, there’s plenty of open space – in fact, the Sydney Morning Herald calculated that a solar farm that could power the entire country would only need to take up 0.1% of the land mass. There’s also a sunny climate, which helps with solar power generation. A rise in the number of rooftop solar panels installed is expected to bring down their price in the next three years, combined with state schemes, which will make solar power more affordable.
New Zealand:
But Australia is being beaten by its Kiwi neighbours in the renewables race. Since 2015, an estimated 40% of the country’s total energy supply has been coming from renewables according to latest government figures, and in 2017 the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment reported that 82% of the nation's electricity came from renewable soures. However, fossil fuels are still powering the other 60% of the energy supply, so there’s still a way to go. Yet the country has set an extremely ambitious target to provide 100% of its energy from renewable sources by 2035, meaning that we could expect to see fossil fuels phased out quickly.
The majority of renewable power currently comes from hydroelectricity. Dams like Manapouri, Benmore, and Clyde work by using gravity to push water through turbines, which is then converted into electricity. However, providing a reliable power supply means having to store water, and the country has limited capacity for doing so, meaning hydroelectric power can be inconsistent. The country is trying to increase its wind power generation to balance this out.
UK:
In the UK renewable electricity overtook fossil fuels in providing energy to homes and businesses for the first time in third quarter of 2019. According to analysis by Carbon Brief, during this period renewables made up 40% of electricity supplied to the national grid while fossil fuels made up 39% and the remaining supply came from nuclear power plants.
The country has also hit headlines this year for phasing out coal plants, as well as a proposed ban – and subsequent U-turn – on controversial fracking for natural gas. In terms of renewables, wind power is the UK’s greatest asset, contributing to one-fifth of the overall energy supply. In fact, the country is home to the world’s largest offshore windfarm, the Hornsea One project, which is located off the coast of Yorkshire. However, the government has come under fire after giving a new £165 million ($212.5m) coalmine in Cumbria, northern England the go-ahead. The local MP Tim Farron described the announcement as "a kick in the teeth in the fight to tackle climate change".
Germany:
In Germany, renewables overtook coal as the country's main energy source, making up 40% of energy, according to research by the Fraunhofer organisation. However, renewables haven’t quite overtaken fossil fuels – even though they make up a greater proportion of the energy mix than in the UK – because the country has been moving away from nuclear power too. In the first half of 2019, renewable energy sources made up a record 44% of the total electricity supply, according to German utility association BDEW. The main reason for this high percentage was stormy weather, which had helped boost wind power production.
During the first half of 2019, electrical output from solar panels also rose, by about 4%. The remaining renewable energy supply is made up of hydroelectric power and biomass. Pictured is an innovative biogas facility in Bandelow, which collects methane gas from cows at a neighbouring dairy farm, using it to turn a turbine which produces electricity.
Scotland:
Streets ahead of the rest of the UK, last year Scotland met 74.6% of its electricity requirements with renewables, according to statistics from the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The outlook is so good that the organisation Scottish Renewables predicts the country will soon be able to meet 100% of its electricity needs from clean energy sources. However, in terms of total energy supply, including heat and transport, only 20% was met by renewables, with the government targeting 50% renewable energy by 2050.
The country has a long history of using renewables, with the first hydroelectric dam being installed at Loch Laggan back in 1934. Currently, onshore wind power makes up the lion’s share of Scotland’s renewable energy, making up 71% of total installed renewables capacity, followed by hydroelectric, offshore wind, solar and biomass. Green energy also provides an estimated 17,700 jobs in Scotland, a figure that will increase as the sector grows.
Sweden:
A green leader in the European Union, Sweden currently gets 54% of its total energy supply from renewable sources, according to the Swedish Energy Agency, and has been doing so since 2016. In fact, the country passed its target of reaching 50% renewables in 2012, eight years ahead of schedule. That’s thanks to policies which have incentivised green energy, including making electricity companies buy a certain amount of green energy and giving power producers a certification for generating it.
Reflecting global trends, Sweden is turning to wind power to increase its renewable capacity. Wind energy is set to double its share of the total power supply, from 12% to 25%, in the next four years, with several large wind farms being opened. The largest, Markbygden, is expected to provide 10 terawatt-hours (TWh) or 6.6% of Sweden’s total energy needs, by the time it is completed at the end of this year.
Nicaragua:
A country blessed with abundant natural resources like strong winds, intense sun and volcanoes, Nicaragua is in the process of a green energy revolution. Pledging to run on 90% renewables by next year and move away from reliance on foreign oil, renewables currently make up 54% of the country's total energy supply according to the Ministry of Energy and Mines, although 1 in 10 people still do not have access to the energy supply.
The Central American nation has come on in leaps and bounds since just 10 years ago, when only 64% of its population had electricity supply and there were frequent 12-hour blackouts. Geothermal energy has been particularly integral to the green energy revolution, which has the potential to provide more than 2,000 megawatts (MW).
Portugal:
In April last year Portugal hit the headlines when it generated more renewable energy than it actually needed for the month of March – making up 104% of the electricity supply according to power grid operator REN. This spike has been attributed to wet and windy weather during that period, which increased output from hydroelectric dams and wind turbines. Considering last year as a whole, renewables met 55.1% of Portugal’s electricity needs, although it’s expecting to get that figure to 80% by 2030.
Hydropower makes up the largest share of renewables in Portugal, followed by wind and biomass. In October this year the country opened a floating wind farm off the coast of Viana do Castelo, which is expected to produce enough electricity to power 60,000 homes. The Portuguese government is currently making a big push to increase solar power generation, and this July it held a ‘solar auction’ to encourage investment in solar projects.
Kenya:
Kenya has ambitious plans to produce 100% of its energy supply from renewables by next year. With renewables currently making up 70% of the electricity on the national grid, it may seem there’s still a long way to go, but the government has rolled out several ambitious projects which may shift the balance. In July, a $690 million (£535m) wind farm opened in the northern region of Turkana, which produces 310 megawatts of energy and has reduced energy costs by 7-10%.
Geothermal also plays a big part in the nation’s green energy supply. Kenya ranks ninth in the world for its geothermal energy capacity, and geothermal accounts for around 28% of the country’s grid capacity according to National Geographic. While one in four people in the country doesn't currently have access to electricity yet, this is rapidly improving. In 2013, just 32% of the population had electricity access, a figure which had increased to 73% by April 2018, according to ESI Africa.
Denmark:
Making use of one of its biggest industries, more than two thirds of Denmark’s renewable energy comes from bioenergy, which is produced by burning wood pellets, animal fats, manure and straw that are by-products from farming. The country met 74% of its total electricity needs from renewables in 2017, and it has set targets to reach 100% clean energy by 2050.
The other main source of renewable energy is wind power. The country is a pioneer of the technology, currently building an offshore wind farm off the island of Møn in the Baltic Sea, which will produce enough power for 600,000 homes when it’s completed in 2022. Solar power is also a small but important energy source, with this biofuel power plant in Samsø doubling up to produce solar power through panels on the roof.
Uruguay:
A world leader in renewable energy, Uruguay supplied an impressive 98% of its electricity from clean energy sources in 2017. Meanwhile last year, the country was recognised by UN-backed coalition REN21 as one of the top countries worldwide for wind and solar power. Yet just 15 years ago, oil was one of the biggest imports. So what factors have fuelled the switch?
Uruguay currently invests 3% of its annual GDP in renewable energy. There are three key government principles driving investment: auctions of electricity that’s produced; tax credits and VAT exemptions on renewables; and ‘net metering’, where people can sell excess electricity to the national grid for a profit. As a result, the country is now one of the world’s biggest wind power producers, with solar and hydropower making up the rest of the renewables mix.
Costa Rica:
So far this year, Costa Rica has met nearly 99% of its electricity needs from renewable resources. The lion’s share of this comes from hydropower, which makes up 67.5% of the total energy supply, followed by wind (17%), geothermal power (13.5%), biomass and solar (0.84%) and backup power plants (1.16%). Not only that, but the government says it’s saved $500 million (£388m) over the past two decades by opting for renewables over fossil fuels.
The country, like many other leaders in renewables, has an abundance of natural resources. Heavy rainfall helps with the generation of hydroelectric power, while volcanoes boost the potential of geothermal power. These factors have led the government to set an ambitious target for carbon neutrality by 2021. Pictured is the control room of a geothermal plant in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
Norway:
Historically speaking, Norway has a complex relationship with fossil fuels. On one hand, it’s been able to meet around 98% of its electricity needs from renewable sources, according to the Norwegian government. On the other hand, it exports huge quantities of oil and gas, which are linked to around half of its total exports. However, in April this year it was reported that the country’s giant $1 trillion (£773bn) Oil Fund, also known as the Government Pension Fund Global, was to invest billions of dollars into wind and solar projects, marking a breakthrough for the country.
Hydropower first started to develop in Norway in the late 1800s, with the first hydropower plant coming into production in 1891. Initially, it was controlled by energy company Norsk Hydro, before the government set up its electricity sector in 1921 to manage power plants. Today, hydropower makes up almost all of Norway’s electricity needs.
Albania:
This small Balkan country's electricity supply is 100% fuelled by hydroelectric power. In fact, it’s the biggest hydropower-producing nation in the world, with total installed capacity reaching 2,204 megawatts in 2018. The three largest dams, Koman, Fierzë and Vau i Dejës are located along the Drin river in northern Albania.
While it might seem like a big win for the environment, there is mounting opposition to hydropower, both locally and at a global level. That’s because rivers and other bodies of water often have to be flooded to create dams, displacing communities and wildlife, as well as changing natural river formations. In August, the country’s Energy and Infrastructure Minister, Belinda Balluku, announced she would be freezing works on new hydroelectric power plants in order to protect the natural environment.
Paraguay:
Meeting 99% of its electricity needs through hydroelectric power and 1% through biomass, Paraguay is far ahead of the rest of the world. In fact, it produces more renewable energy per capita than any other country – meaning it has plenty left over to export elsewhere. With the world’s largest dam, the Itaipú Dam, located on its border with Brazil, hydroelectric provides a big boost to Paraguay’s income, provides jobs and reduces energy costs.
However, hydroelectric power has its drawbacks. On top of social and environmental concerns, it can be unreliable: in June this year, a huge blackout across Argentina, Uruguay and parts of Paraguay left some 50 million people without electricity, some for as long as a full day. The issue was linked to a failure of the Yacyretá hydroelectric dam to transmit electricity.
Iceland:
This small northern European nation, with a population of just over 360,000, is a world leader in green energy. It uses 100% renewable energy for its electricity and heat supply, which is split between hydropower (87%) and geothermal (13%). With a northern location and immense reserves of heat energy underground, it’s no wonder it’s been nicknamed the “land of fire and ice”.
The country’s glaciers and mountains provide perfect resources for hydroelectric power, with around 37 large and 200 small hydroelectric power plants in the country. Iceland has ideal geology for geothermal energy to be harnessed. There is a large volcanic zone stretching across the country from southwest to northeast, where underground temperatures can be as high as 250°C (482°F). There are also a number of hot springs, including Blue Lagoon (pictured), which attracts 700,000 tourists each year.
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