Global renewable capacity surged by 473 GW during 2023 (+298 GW in China)

According to the IRENA, the global renewable capacity rose by 473 GW (+14%) in 2023 to over 3,800 GW, compared to over 295 GW installed during 2022. This growth was spurred by a major increase in solar capacity (+346 GW to around 1,400 GW, i.e., +32%) followed by wind capacity (+116 GW, i.e., +13%, to over 1,010 GW. Hydropower capacity rose by 7 GW to GW (+1%), bioenergy capacity by 4.4 GW (+3%) and geothermal capacity by around 200 MW to nearly 15 GW. 

As in previous years, most of the new capacity additions (69%) occurred in Asia (+328 GW to 1,961 GW, i.e., over 50% of the global renewable capacity at the end of 2023). China was the main driver with nearly 298 GW installed - the country added as much renewable capacity in 2023 as the world in 2022 - with 217 GW of new solar capacity and 76 GW of new wind capacity. India also installed over 12.7 GW of new renewable capacity and Japan 5.9 GW. Europe added 71 GW of new capacity (including nearly 18 GW in Germany), North America nearly 35 GW (including over 31 GW in the United States), and South America over 22 GW (including over 17 GW in Brazil and 2.9 GW in Chile). Australia installed over 5.2 GW, the Middle East 5.1 GW and Africa 2.7 GW.