Data centers expected to experience a 100% increase in electricity demand within three years
According to the latest report from the International Energy Agency, the global electricity demand stemming from data centers, cryptocurrencies, and artificial intelligence is projected to increase by over 100% in the next three years. This surge in demand is expected to be equivalent to the total power requirements of Germany.
There are more than 8,000 data centers worldwide, of which about 33% are in the United States, 16% in Europe and almost 10% in China, with more planned. In Ireland, where data centers are developing rapidly, the IEA expects the sector to consume 32 percent of the country’s total electricity by 2026, up from 17 percent in 2022. There are currently 82 centers in Ireland; 14 are under construction and 40 others have been approved.
According to the report, global electricity demand is expected to grow by 3.4 percent by 2026. However, the growth is more than covered by renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar and hydropower, as well as the highest ever nuclear power.
Low-emission sources are expected to account for almost half of the world’s electricity production by 2026, up from less than 40 percent in 2023, the report states. This includes 9 million battery electric cars and 11 million heat pumps in Europe.
“The electricity sector currently produces more CO2 emissions than anything else in the world economy, so it is encouraging that the rapid growth of renewable energy sources and the steady growth of nuclear power are on track to meet the growth in global electricity demand over the next three years. years,” IEA Director General Fatih Birol said.
The global emission intensity of electricity production, or the amount of carbon dioxide produced per unit of energy, is expected to fall by an average of about 3.5 percent per year until 2026, the IEA said. In Europe, more intensive carbon dioxide emissions mean that the decline is expected to be 13 percent per year.
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