Energy in the BRICS

The BRICS group is approaching a critical transition point where non-fossil power capacity is expected to eclipse fossil fuels by the end of 2024. While the bloc possesses a vast pipeline of wind and solar projects—enough to potentially triple renewable capacity by 2030—nearly all members continue to develop new coal, oil, or gas plants. China dominates the group's transition, leading in both renewable additions and the construction of new coal capacity. Other members show divergent paths: Brazil and Ethiopia are heavily hydropower-reliant, while the UAE, Iran, and Russia remain deeply dependent on oil and gas, though the UAE is rapidly diversifying via nuclear and solar power.

• The share of power capacity in the BRICS group fueled by coal, oil, and gas is projected to fall below 50% by the end of 2024, as non-fossil capacity additions to mid-year already exceed the fossil-fueled projects slated for commissioning in 2024.
• Wind and utility-scale solar projects in development across the BRICS total 1,550 GW, which is approximately double the capacity of fossil-fueled projects in development.
• Despite the growth of renewables, almost all BRICS members (except Ethiopia) are developing new fossil-fueled power plants; if completed, these projects would increase operating coal capacity by 36% and oil/gas capacity by 53% across the group.
• The BRICS group has 2,276 GW of renewable capacity in development, which represents approximately 95% of the additional utility-scale renewable capacity needed to meet the global tripling target by 2030, excluding distributed solar PV.
• China's power sector is characterized by a duality: it has the world's largest coal fleet (1,147 GW) and the most coal capacity under construction (173 GW), yet its wind and solar capacity (1,180 GW) surpassed its coal capacity in mid-2024.
• Brazil is a global leader in offshore wind, with 234 GW of projects in the licensing phase as of April 2024, though an incomplete regulatory framework risks stalling development.
• India's power sector is seeing a surge in coal development to meet rising demand, with new and revived coal proposals in the first half of 2024 (23.5 GW) already exceeding the total for all of 2023 (13.6 GW).
• The UAE has rapidly increased its non-fossil capacity share to around 25% in just over five years, driven by the Barakah nuclear power plant and large-scale solar installations like Al Dhafra.
• Ethiopia's power system is almost entirely non-fossil, with hydropower supplying over 90% of generation, and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) accounting for most of its under-construction capacity.
• Iran remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels for over 90% of its generation and faces a significant gas shortage, with a peak daily shortfall of 300 million cubic meters.

APA

Norman, J., Clark, G., Babajeva, J., Sidorovskaya-Fretz, N., Yu, A., Han, Y., & Zhang, M. (2024). Energy in the BRICS. Global Energy Monitor. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM-BRICS-Oct2024_11.pdf

Chicago

Norman, James, Gregor Clark, Jelena Babajeva, Natalia Sidorovskaya-Fretz, Aiqun Yu, Yujia Han, and Mengqi Zhang. Energy in the BRICS. Global Energy Monitor, 2024. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM-BRICS-Oct2024_11.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{norman2024energy, author = {Norman, James and Clark, Gregor and Babajeva, Jelena and Sidorovskaya-Fretz, Natalia and Yu, Aiqun and Han, Yujia and Zhang, Mengqi}, title = {{Energy in the BRICS}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2024}, month = oct, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM-BRICS-Oct2024_11.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }