world

Projects are being undertaken more extensively in many countries to exploit solar heat, wind power, geotherm and other natural energy sources.

Sweden has worked out a plan for using no fossil fuel in electricity production by 2040 and is pushing ahead with it. It is concentrating investment on the active development of solar and wind energy resources and the provision of energy storage facilities, smart electric transmission equipment and others.

Denmark, one of the countries with the largest share of power generation based on wind energy in the total electricity output, also set itself a goal of producing electricity without using fossil fuel by 2050.

Germany intends to meet 65 percent of its electricity demand with natural energy sources by 2030.

Costa Rica, a small country in Central America, ensures most of its electricity generation by using hydropower, geotherm, wind power and solar energy.

Until 2012, the amount of power generation based on renewables accounted for about 40 percent of the total electricity output in Uruguay. But it has increased more than twice in some years.

Indonesia plans to create new power generating capacity by 2034, of which 76 percent will be based on natural energy sources.

African countries are going to fully utilize their natural and geographical conditions with abundant wind power, hydropower and solar energy sources. Experts expect generating capacity relying on renewables to increase more than five times on the African continent by 2030.

In Kenya, the power output based on geotherm accounted for only 13 percent of the total electricity output in 2010, but it increased to 50 percent in some years.

Ethiopia has set it as an important task to establish an eco-friendly energy system and actively used such natural energy sources as hydropower, wind power, solar heat and geotherm on a nationwide scale. As a result, its national electricity production has more than doubled in the past seven years. The country is pushing forward with infrastructure construction to supply electricity to wider areas in keeping with the increase in electricity output.

In August this year, Botswana began the construction of a solar power station with a generating capacity of 100 000kW in its eastern region. The country aims to increase to 50 percent the share of power generation based on renewables in the domestic electricity output by 2030.

A lot of methods have been developed for exploiting renewables more effectively. One of them is to install solar panels over canals, not on land. According to research findings, solar panels covering over the water area of a canal extending for 4 000 miles can provide electricity for about two million families.

Under the circumstances, the International Energy Agency expects that the capacity for generating electricity relying on renewables will increase by 5 500GW by 2030.