Despite the world's economic slowdown, global primary energy consumption stubbornly increased by 1% in 2022, painting a complex picture of relentless demand, regional disparities, and an energy transition hanging in the balance.
Key Takeaways
- Global primary energy consumption in 2022 was 604 exajoules (EJ), a 1% increase from 2021.
- World electricity consumption grew by 2.5% in 2022 to reach 28,468 terawatt-hours (TWh).
- China's primary energy consumption accounted for 27% of global total in 2022 at 163 EJ.
- Global oil production reached 99.7 mb/d in 2022.
- United States produced 20.1 mb/d of crude oil in 2022, 20% of world total.
- Saudi Arabia oil production was 10.6 mb/d in 2022.
- Renewable electricity capacity added globally was 510 GW in 2022.
- Solar PV capacity reached 1,052 GW globally at end of 2022.
- Wind capacity installed worldwide totaled 899 GW by end-2022.
- Global oil reserves were 1,732 billion barrels at end-2022.
- Natural gas reserves totaled 188 trillion cubic meters globally in 2022.
- Coal reserves stood at 1,074 billion tonnes worldwide end-2022.
- Global energy-related CO2 emissions rose 0.9% to 37.0 billion tonnes (Gt) in 2022.
- Coal accounted for 40% of energy-related CO2 emissions in 2022 at 15 Gt.
- Oil contributed 11.5 Gt CO2, 31% of total emissions in 2022.
Global energy demand rose slightly in 2022 despite varied consumption and production trends.
Consumption
- Global primary energy consumption in 2022 was 604 exajoules (EJ), a 1% increase from 2021.
- World electricity consumption grew by 2.5% in 2022 to reach 28,468 terawatt-hours (TWh).
- China's primary energy consumption accounted for 27% of global total in 2022 at 163 EJ.
- United States primary energy consumption was 94 EJ in 2022, representing 15.5% of world total.
- India's primary energy consumption rose 4.8% in 2022 to 40 EJ, 6.6% of global share.
- Global final energy consumption by sector in 2022: industry 37%, transport 24%, buildings 31%.
- Per capita primary energy consumption globally averaged 75 gigajoules (GJ) in 2022.
- Europe's primary energy consumption fell 4.2% in 2022 to 75 EJ due to energy crisis.
- Global oil products consumption increased 1.9% in 2022 to 99.4 million barrels per day (mb/d).
- Natural gas consumption worldwide rose 0.7% in 2022 to 4,048 billion cubic meters (bcm).
- Coal consumption globally increased 1.1% in 2022 to 8,250 million tonnes (Mt).
- Global energy intensity (energy per GDP) improved by 1.3% in 2022.
- Transportation sector consumed 118 EJ of energy globally in 2021.
- Residential sector final energy use was 105 EJ worldwide in 2021.
- Commercial and public services sector used 73 EJ globally in 2021.
- Global electricity demand growth averaged 2.6% annually from 2012-2022.
- Asia accounted for 82% of global electricity consumption growth in 2022.
- World final energy consumption reached 420 EJ in 2022.
- OECD countries' share of global energy consumption fell to 46% in 2022.
- Non-OECD consumption grew 3.5% in 2022, driven by emerging economies.
- Global aviation fuel demand rebounded to 95% of 2019 levels in 2022.
- Road transport oil demand was 42 mb/d globally in 2022.
- Petrochemical feedstock consumption rose 2.5% to 15 mb/d in 2022.
- Global hydrogen consumption for energy reached 94 Mt in 2022, mostly from fossil fuels.
- District heating consumption was 12 EJ globally in 2021.
- Global energy consumption per capita in Africa was 18 GJ in 2022.
- Middle East per capita energy use was 233 GJ in 2022.
- North America per capita consumption stood at 292 GJ in 2022.
- Global primary energy demand increased by 1% in 2022 despite economic slowdown.
- Electricity accounted for 20% of final energy consumption globally in 2022.
Consumption Interpretation
Despite the world’s earnest talk of an energy transition, 2022’s numbers quietly confess that our global thirst for fossil fuels remains stubbornly unquenched, even as efficiency gains and Asia’s relentless growth chart the awkward path forward.
Emissions
- Global energy-related CO2 emissions rose 0.9% to 37.0 billion tonnes (Gt) in 2022.
- Coal accounted for 40% of energy-related CO2 emissions in 2022 at 15 Gt.
- Oil contributed 11.5 Gt CO2, 31% of total emissions in 2022.
- Natural gas emissions were 8.0 Gt CO2 in 2022, 22% share.
- China CO2 emissions from energy reached 11.9 Gt in 2022.
- United States energy CO2 emissions were 4.7 Gt in 2022.
- India emissions grew 4.7% to 2.7 Gt CO2 in 2022.
- EU27 CO2 emissions fell 2.5% to 2.4 Gt in 2022.
- Global methane emissions from energy sector were 135 MtCH4 in 2022.
- Oil and gas sector methane emissions totaled 120 MtCH4 equivalent in 2022.
- Coal mining methane emissions were 45 MtCH4 in 2022.
- Energy sector NOx emissions globally were 25 million tonnes in 2021.
- SO2 emissions from energy fell to 70 million tonnes in 2021.
- Global cumulative CO2 emissions from fossil fuels since 1850 total 2,500 Gt.
- Power sector CO2 emissions increased 1.8% to 14.5 Gt in 2022.
- Transport CO2 emissions rose 1.1% to 8.2 Gt in 2022.
- Industry sector emissions grew 0.9% to 9.9 Gt CO2 in 2022.
- Buildings CO2 emissions fell 1.2% to 3.1 Gt in 2022.
- Aviation CO2 emissions rebounded 35% in 2022 to near pre-pandemic levels.
Emissions Interpretation
While we celebrate the slight decrease in building emissions like winning a single skirmish, the fact that global CO2 emissions hit another record high of 37 billion tonnes, driven by coal's stubborn dominance and aviation's roaring rebound, reveals we are still decisively losing the war for our planet's climate.
Fossil Fuels
- Global oil reserves were 1,732 billion barrels at end-2022.
- Natural gas reserves totaled 188 trillion cubic meters globally in 2022.
- Coal reserves stood at 1,074 billion tonnes worldwide end-2022.
- OPEC oil reserves were 80% of global total at 1,241 billion barrels in 2022.
- Russia held 38 trillion cubic meters of natural gas reserves in 2022.
- Iran gas reserves were 34 trillion cubic meters end-2022.
- Global oil refinery throughput was 82.3 mb/d in 2022.
- China had 17.3 mb/d refinery capacity in 2022.
- United States refinery runs averaged 16.3 mb/d in 2022.
- Coal trade volumes reached 1,267 Mt in 2022.
- Indonesia exported 467 Mt of coal in 2022.
- Australia coal exports were 442 Mt in 2022.
- Global LNG trade grew 6.6% to 404 bcm in 2022.
- Qatar exported 82 bcm of LNG in 2022.
- Australia LNG exports totaled 81 bcm in 2022.
- Russia pipeline gas exports to Europe fell 60% to 63 bcm in 2022.
- Global oil trade was 64.1 mb/d in 2022.
- Saudi Arabia oil exports averaged 7.1 mb/d in 2022.
- Iraq oil exports were 3.4 mb/d in 2022.
- Coal-fired power generation was 10,494 TWh globally in 2022.
Fossil Fuels Interpretation
Despite holding centuries' worth of fossil fuels in reserve, the global energy system in 2022 was a tale of frantic trade and sudden disruption, where coal shipments sailed unabated while a geopolitical earthquake severed gas pipelines to Europe.
Production
- Global oil production reached 99.7 mb/d in 2022.
- United States produced 20.1 mb/d of crude oil in 2022, 20% of world total.
- Saudi Arabia oil production was 10.6 mb/d in 2022.
- Russia produced 10.1 mb/d of oil in 2022.
- Global natural gas production increased 1.5% to 4,110 bcm in 2022.
- United States natural gas output hit 1,035 bcm in 2022, 25% of global.
- Russia gas production was 686 bcm in 2022.
- Iran produced 256 bcm of natural gas in 2022.
- Global coal production rose 3.1% to 8,632 Mt in 2022.
- China coal production reached 4,627 Mt in 2022, 54% of world total.
- India coal output was 901 Mt in 2022.
- Global nuclear power generation was 2,660 TWh in 2022.
- Hydroelectricity production globally totaled 4,349 TWh in 2022.
- Wind power generation worldwide reached 2,157 TWh in 2022.
- Solar photovoltaic output grew 24% to 1,319 TWh in 2022.
- Global bioenergy production was 2,423 TWh equivalent in 2022.
- Total global electricity generation increased 2.5% to 29,165 TWh in 2022.
- Low-carbon sources generated 29.8% of global electricity in 2022.
- Fossil fuels produced 60.2% of world electricity in 2022.
- Global primary energy production was 621 EJ in 2022.
- OPEC+ countries accounted for 52% of global crude oil production in 2022.
- Global LNG production reached 404 bcm in 2022.
- Qatar LNG output was 79 bcm in 2022.
- Global geothermal electricity generation was 95 TWh in 2022.
- Global primary energy production growth was 1.5% in 2022.
Production Interpretation
Despite holding commanding leads in fossil fuel production, the world's energy story in 2022 was a slow-burn drama of incremental green gains trying to outpace stubbornly dominant coal, oil, and gas.
Renewables
- Renewable electricity capacity added globally was 510 GW in 2022.
- Solar PV capacity reached 1,052 GW globally at end of 2022.
- Wind capacity installed worldwide totaled 899 GW by end-2022.
- Hydropower capacity stood at 1,295 GW globally in 2022.
- Bioenergy capacity was 150 GW worldwide at end-2022.
- Global renewable power generation hit 8,751 TWh in 2022, 29% of total electricity.
- China added 76 GW of solar PV capacity in 2022.
- Europe installed 32 GW of wind capacity in 2022.
- Onshore wind levelized cost of energy (LCOE) averaged $0.033/kWh globally in 2022.
- Utility-scale solar PV LCOE was $0.049/kWh worldwide in 2022.
- Fixed-roof solar PV LCOE fell to $0.091/kWh globally in 2022.
- Hydropower LCOE averaged $0.061/kWh in 2022.
- Bioenergy LCOE was $0.089/kWh globally in 2022.
- Concentrating solar power capacity reached 7 GW worldwide in 2022.
- Global renewable energy capacity totalled 3,372 GW at end-2022.
- Renewables capacity additions grew 9.6% in 2022 to 510 GW.
- Asia hosted 59% of global renewable capacity in 2022.
- Offshore wind capacity was 35 GW globally end-2022.
- Geothermal capacity stood at 15 GW worldwide in 2022.
- Concentrated solar thermal power added 0.7 GW in 2022.
- Modern bioenergy production grew 5% annually 2017-2022.
- Solar PV module prices fell 31% in 2022 to $0.30/W.
- Global wind turbine prices declined 6% in 2022.
Renewables Interpretation
In a year where solar panels became startlingly affordable and the world added a staggering 510 gigawatts of clean power, the energy transition finally stopped being a polite conversation about the future and became a noisy, competitive, and seriously cost-effective demolition of the old fossil fuel order.
Sources & References
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- Reference 4EMBER-CLIMATEember-climate.orgVisit source
- Reference 5OPECopec.orgVisit source
- Reference 6IRENAirena.orgVisit source
- Reference 7GLOBALCARBONBUDGETglobalcarbonbudget.orgVisit source