Renewable generation capacity by region
For the complete dataset see: IRENA (2022), Renewable capacity statistics 2022, available at:
www.irena.org/publications.
Asia accounted for 60% of new capacity in 2021, increasing its renewable capacity by 154.7 GW to reach 1.46 TW
(48% of the global total). A huge part of this increase occurred in China (+121 GW). Capacity in Europe and North
America expanded by 39 GW (+6.4%) and 38 GW (+9.0%) respectively, with a notably large expansion in the
USA (+32 GW). Africa continued to expand steadily with an increase of 2.1 GW (+3.9%), slightly less than in 2020.
Oceania is no longer the fastest growing region (+5.2%), although its share of global capacity is small and almost
all of this expansion occurred in Australia.
Highlights by technology
Hydropower: Growth in hydro increased
steadily in 2021, with the commissioning of
several large projects delayed through 2021.
China added 14.6 GW of capacity, followed by Canada
with 1.3 GW.
Solar energy: With an increase in new
capacity in all major world regions in
previous years, total global solar capacity
has now outgrown wind energy capacity.
Expansion in Asia was 76 GW in 2021 (compared to
+77 GW in 2020), with major capacity increases in
China (+53.0 GW) and India (+10.3 GW). Japan also
added 4.4 GW and Republic of Korea expanded solar
capacity by almost 3.6 GW.
Outside Asia, the United States added 19.6 GW of solar
capacity in 2021, Brazil and Germany respectively
added 5.2 GW and 4.7 GW and the Netherlands and
Spain added more than 3 GW.
Wind energy: Wind expansion continued at
a lower rate in 2021 compared to 2020
(+93 GW compared to +110 GW last year).
China added 46.9 GW of new wind capacity, followed
by the United States (+14.0 GW). Eleven other
countries increased their wind capacity by more than
1 GW in 2021. While offshore wind remains a fairly small
part of the sector, it continues to increase in
importance each year and reached around 7% of total
wind capacity in 2021.
Bioenergy: Net capacity expansion
increased in 2021 (+10.3 GW compared to
+9.1 GW in 2020). Bioenergy capacity in
China expanded by 6.2 GW, leading net expansion in
Asia and the world. North America was the only other
region with significant expansion in 2021, adding
1.3 GW of bioenergy capacity.
Geothermal energy: Geothermal capacity
had an exceptional growth in 2021, with 1.6
GW added. The United States increased
capacity by 1.3 GW in 2021, and other expansions
occurred in Indonesia (+146 MW), Turkey (+63 MW),
Italy (+30 MW) and Mexico (+25 MW).
Off-grid electricity: Off-grid capacity grew
by 466 MW in 2021 (+4%) to reach 11.2 GW.*
Solar expanded by 312 MW to reach 4.9 GW
and hydro added 113 MW to reach 1.9 GW. Bioenergy
and other capacity remained almost unchanged at
about 4.5 GW.
*
Note: these figures exclude Eurasia, Europe and North America.
Europe
Capacity 647 GW
Global share 21%
Change +39.1 GW
Growth +6.4%
North America
Capacity 458 GW
Global share 15%
Change +37.9 GW
Growth +9.0%
Eurasia
Capacity 116 GW
Global share 4%
Change +5.6 GW
Growth +5.1%
Middle East
Capacity 24 GW
Global share <1%
Change +1.0 GW
Growth +4.5%
Asia
Capacity 1 456 GW
Global share 48%
Change +154.7 GW
Growth +11.9%
Oceania
Capacity 45 GW
Global share 1%
Change +2.2 GW
Growth +5.2%
Africa
Capacity 56 GW
Global share 2%
Change +2.1 GW
Growth +3.9%
Central America
and the Caribbean
Capacity 17 GW
Global share <1%
Change +0.6 GW
Growth +3.3%
South America
Capacity 245 GW
Global share 8%
Change +13.5 GW
Growth +5.9%
VIP
