June 2014: The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) released the first technology roadmap as part of its REmap 2030 series, focusing on the future use of renewable energy in buildings, transport and industry. According to the report, titled ‘Renewable Energy in Manufacturing: A Technology Roadmap for REmap 2030,’ the proportion of renewables in global manufacturing could reach 27% by 2030.

The report notes, however, that this figure is dependent on the availability of low-cost biomass sources and reduced capital costs for new technologies. If, in addition, carbon pricing is adopted widely, the proportion could reach 34%. The report further projects that if the present deployment plans and renewable energy policies remain at their current level, the proportion would stay unchanged at 10%.

The report also finds that with expected growth in energy demand in these end-use sectors, increased energy efficiency alone will not be able to reduce the growing demand for fossil fuels. The findings estimate that total global industrial energy use will grow by 45% by 2030 in the absence of energy efficiency.

In addition to its projections under various assumptions, the report identifies six priority areas for action, namely: energy-intensive sectors; small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); biomass; solar thermal systems; electrification; and regional policy aspects.

IRENA’s REmap 2030 project aims to create a global renewable energy roadmap to double the share of renewables in the global energy mix by 2030. In addition to its series of technology roadmaps, IRENA is also publishing country-based analyses to identify the policy and investment frameworks needed to scale renewable energy deployment. [IRENA Publication Webpage] [Publication: Renewable Energy in Manufacturing: A Technology Roadmap for REmap 2030] [IISD RS Coverage of IRENA REmap Launch]