The World Needs 6,900 GW of Energy Storage. New Climate Transition Plan Outlined
Global Energy Transition Must Accelerate Electrification and Renewables, Says New IRENA Report
The International Renewable Energy Agency has published a landmark report titled “Transitioning away from fossil fuels: A roadmap based on renewables, electrification and grid enhancement”. The analysis makes clear that large-scale electrification must become the driving force of the next phase of the global energy transition.
According to the agency, in order to keep global temperature rise below the 1.5°C threshold, electricity must account for 35% of total final energy consumption by 2035.
Rapid Electrification and Massive Growth of Renewables
Today, electricity represents only around 23% of global final energy use. This share must increase rapidly in the coming decade. After reaching 35% in 2035, electrification is expected to surpass 50% by mid-century, making electricity the dominant global energy carrier by 2050.
This surge in demand is expected to be met almost entirely by renewable energy sources. Installed global renewable capacity must grow from just over 5 TW at the end of last year to more than 18 TW by 2035, ultimately exceeding 38 TW by 2050.
As a result, the share of renewables in global electricity generation would rise from 30% in 2023 to around 92% by mid-century.
Storage Becomes a Critical Pillar of the System
Such a transformation will not be possible without massive deployment of energy storage systems. The report sets highly ambitious targets for global storage capacity: from 416 GW in 2025 to more than 2,500 GW by 2035, and nearly 6,900 GW by 2050.
IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera emphasizes that these investments are not only essential for climate protection but also for reducing dependence on fossil fuel imports and ensuring stable energy prices for consumers.
Grid Infrastructure as the Main Bottleneck
The greatest obstacle to achieving these goals is currently outdated power grid infrastructure. Globally, around 2,500 GW of renewable and storage projects are stuck in connection queues, unable to access the grid. Most of these projects are solar, wind, and battery storage facilities.
Without urgent investment in transmission systems, new capacity risks widespread curtailment and grid congestion.
IRENA estimates that global spending on grid development must reach an average of $1.2 trillion annually by 2050—more than double last year’s investment levels. To stay on a safe climate pathway, grid and system flexibility investments alone must total $5.5 trillion before 2030.
Beyond building new transmission lines, the agency also calls for urgent optimization of existing infrastructure through advanced technologies that increase grid capacity and efficiency.