The transformation of the global energy landscape is accelerating\nfaster than a decade ago. Coal, which has long been the backbone of\nglobal energy supply, is beginning to lose its share, whilst solar and\nwind energy continue to expand their role in the global energy mix.<\/p>\n
Coal remains one of the world\u2019s largest energy sources today, but its\nposition is gradually eroding. OPEC projections indicate coal\u2019s share of\nglobal energy demand could fall from 26.5% in 2024 to 13.6% by 2050.\nOver the same period, solar and wind energy are expected to record the\nmost aggressive growth among all energy sources.<\/p>\n
This shift illustrates the direction of the energy transition\nunderway across various nations. Oil maintains its position as the\nworld\u2019s primary energy source, while natural gas retains its role as a\ntransition fuel. Meanwhile, investment in solar and wind power plants\ncontinues to rise, driven by falling technology costs and increasingly\nstringent carbon emission reduction targets.<\/p>\n
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) reports\nthat global energy demand through 2050 will still be supported by fossil\nfuels, albeit with a changing composition. Oil will remain the world\u2019s\nlargest energy source, whilst coal experiences the deepest decline among\nall sources. In 2024, oil accounted for 30.6% of global energy demand, a\nfigure expected to dip only slightly to 29.8% by 2050. This means oil\nwill remain the world\u2019s primary fuel for the next quarter century,\nsustained by transport needs, the petrochemical industry, and economic\ngrowth in developing countries.<\/p>\n
Coal faces a different fate. Its share of global energy consumption,\nwhich stood at 26.5% in 2024, is projected to shrink to 13.6% by 2050.\nThis nearly 13 percentage point drop is the largest among all energy\nsources, driven by decarbonisation efforts, net-zero emission targets,\nand the increasing competitiveness of renewable energy.<\/p>\n
Natural gas, however, is holding steady, with its share rising from\n22.7% to 23.7% over the same period. Many countries are using gas as a\ntransition fuel due to its lower carbon emissions compared to coal. The\nconstruction of gas-fired power plants in Asia and the Middle East is\nalso supporting demand. Nuclear energy is gaining more ground as well,\nwith its share increasing from 4.8% to 6.6% by 2050, as concerns over\nenergy security and rising electricity demand prompt several nations to\nreconsider building new-generation nuclear reactors.<\/p>\n
The most dramatic surge comes from solar and wind energy. Their\ncombined share of global energy demand was just 3.5% in 2024, but is\nprojected to soar to 13.5% by 2050. Falling technology costs, improved\nenergy storage capacity, and massive investment across various countries\nare making renewables the fastest-growing segment.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, the dominance of fossil fuels is not over. Oil, coal,\nand gas still controlled around 80% of global energy demand in 2024, and\nthis figure is expected to decline to 67% by 2050. The world is moving\ntowards cleaner energy, but the journey is gradual. For decades to come,\nfossil fuels will remain the foundation of the global energy system,\neven as renewables continue to narrow the gap.<\/p>\n
As for Indonesia, the government\u2019s Electricity Supply Business Plan\n(RUPTL) for 2025-2034 targets an additional 42.6 GW of new and renewable\nenergy capacity, representing 61% of total planned capacity additions.\nSolar energy receives the highest priority allocation, with plans to add\n17.1 GW. This electricity expansion is expected to absorb a massive\ninvestment value of IDR 1,682 trillion. The implementation of the RUPTL\nis a crucial instrument in the emissions roadmap, targeting a reduction\nof 126.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in greenhouse gas\nemissions. Currently, around 60% of Indonesia\u2019s active power plants are\ncoal-fired, meaning any disruption to coal supply directly impacts\nelectricity supply and, consequently, economic growth.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/a-new-era-begins-a-glimpse-of-the-worlds-future-energy-map-1782352266", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }