Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 1 April 2026 – 2025 saw total renewable power capacity reach 5 149 gigawatts (GW) after the addition of 692 GW, or a 15.5% of annual increase, according to new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The Renewable Capacity Statistics 2026 also finds renewable energy dominates the total capacity expansion at 85.6% share, while non-renewables continue to account for a smaller share of additions.

Geopolitical tensions are once again thrusting energy into the global spotlight. Escalation in the Middle East raises fresh concerns over supply security and fossil fuel price volatility. Against this backdrop, renewable energy is gaining attention to build more resilient systems that are less vulnerable to international shocks. As renewables are homegrown, low-cost and can be deployed immediately, increasing their share in national energy systems can reduce exposure to international fuel markets.

Commenting on the findings, IRENA Director-General, Francesco La Camera said, “In the midst of uncertain time, renewable energy remains consistent and steadfast in its expansion. This not only indicates market preference but also makes a strong case for renewable energy resilience with brutal clarity. A more decentralised energy system, with a growing share of renewables and more market players, is structurally more resilient. Countries that invested in the energy transition are weathering this crisis with less economic damage, as they boost energy security, resilience and competitiveness.”

In line with the previous year, solar energy led the increase, accounting for 511 GW or approximately 75% share in the total renewables capacity addition. Wind energy followed suit, adding 159 GW. Together, solar and wind accounted for 96.8% of all net renewable additions last year, reflecting the biggest cost decrease among all renewable technologies. Bioenergy took the third place with 2.3% annual growth, adding 3.4 GW to total renewable energy expansion.

The report also confirms, however, the persistent and significant disparities amongst countries and regions. Asia continued to lead with a 74.2% contribution to all new renewable capacity; the 513.3 GW additions represent a growth rate of 21.6%. Africa recorded its highest capacity increase, rising by 15.9% or adding 11.3 GW, driven by Ethiopia, South Africa, and Egypt. Another region that experienced its largest annual growth is the Middle East, which increased by 28.9%, led by Saudi Arabia.

In terms of total global capacity, Asia unsurprisingly keeps its top position with 2 891 GW of total renewables capacity, followed by Europe which recorded 934 GW in total. Central America and the Caribbean had the lowest renewables capacity with a total of 21 GW in 2025. This disparity exposes the vulnerability of economies with low share of renewables, and underscores the urgent need to increase the share for their energy security.

Technology highlights:

• Solar energy: solar photovoltaics accounted for 510.3 GW out of 511.2 GW of total solar power additions in 2025.
• Renewable hydropower (excluding pumped hydro): 18.4 GW was added in 2025, with 96% of the increase coming from China. Ethiopia, India, Tanzania, Bhutan, Viet Nam, Canada, Austria, Indonesia and Nepal, respectively added more than 0.5 GW.
• Wind energy: capacity grew by 14% from 2024, with record additions of 158.7 GW in 2025. China accounted for nearly three-quarters of the expansion, adding 119.4 GW, while India saw an increase of 6.3 GW.
• Bioenergy: capacity increased by 3.4 GW, led by Japan, which more than doubled its bioenergy capacity expansion from 2024, adding 1.1 GW in 2025. China followed with capacity additions of 0.8 GW and Brazil with 0.6 GW additions.
• Geothermal energy: capacity grew at a similar rate to the previous year at 1.7%, adding 0.3 GW in 2025. The Philippines and Indonesia each contributed 0.1 GW of the additions, followed by Germany, Türkiye and Japan.
• Off-grid electricity (excluding Eurasia, Europe and North America): expanded by 1.7 GW, led by solar power with 1.5 GW. A broad range of bioenergy types added 0.2 GW to the total addition of off-grid capacity.

Read the full Renewable Capacity Statistics 2026 including the highlights, here.

UAE – March 30, 2026: – Investment in renewable energy projects in the Middle East has jumped by 28%, year-on-year, according to a new report from Ansarada, a leading M&A and infrastructure procurement platform.

The 2026 Renewable Energy Infrastructure Outlook Report, produced in partnership with Infralogic, notes that globally, investment in the renewable energy sector has surged to a total of US$496B, with increasing AI compute demand cited as a key driver of this activity.

Investment in renewable energy projects in the Middle East totalled US$12.9 billion in 2025, up from US$10.1 billion in 2024.

Surveying 150 senior executives across APAC, EMEA, and the Americas, the report highlights how the Middle East is establishing itself as a strategic market, with 25% of respondents citing the region as a top growth market for renewable energy investment.

As Western markets grapple with grid congestion and permitting delays, the region’s sovereign-backed model enables “rapid supply chain mobilisation and bankable pipelines,” sidestepping the permitting friction and multi-year grid queue bottlenecks plaguing Europe and North America.

The Middle East’s integrated delivery approach exemplifies a different path to market, building renewables and transmission infrastructure in parallel rather than sequentially. This model leverages sovereign capital and streamlined regulatory frameworks to accelerate deployment at scale.

“The Middle East demonstrates what’s possible when projects are designed and delivered holistically,” said Justin Smith, Managing Director at Ansarada. “Building renewables and transmission together represents a fundamentally different approach than the fragmented delivery model common in Western markets.”

The urgency is amplified by AI-driven energy requirements. With over US$500 billion in AI infrastructure capital expenditure projected for 2026 and US data centre energy consumption forecast to hit 409 TWh by 2030, the report identifies this as the primary catalyst for new renewable development, cited by 37% of respondents globally and 36% in EMEA.

The UAE’s emergence as a regional AI hub is driving increased focus on energy infrastructure capable of supporting compute-intensive operations. As the country positions itself at the forefront of AI adoption across the Middle East, the need for integrated renewable energy and storage solutions becomes increasingly critical. “AI compute demand is the single biggest driver of new renewables development,” Smith said. “But the shift from distributed solar to integrated, dispatchable systems, the ‘solar-plus-storage’ configurations needed to manage grid stability, dramatically increases procurement complexity.”

The report reveals battery storage transitioning to essential infrastructure: 34% of EMEA respondents expect strong growth in large-scale storage. In EMEA broadly, macroeconomic uncertainties (44%) and high interest rates (44%) lead to regional concerns.

Despite widespread technology adoption, the report exposes critical weaknesses. While 91% use purpose-built procurement software, organisations deploy an average of 3-4 disconnected systems, and 55% still rely on email for sensitive bidder correspondence.

“Organisations think they’ve digitised, but they’ve actually created a ‘Frankenstack’ of disconnected tools,” Smith said. “The technology fragmentation gap was one of the most surprising findings.”

Only 37% of respondents globally described their most recent procurement process as “very efficient,” dropping to 8% in EMEA and 29% among government agencies. While 95% believe their processes are transparent internally, 43% admit processes lack clarity for external parties, creating litigation risk.

In EMEA, 80% of respondents deeply embed ESG in procurement, with 90% describing transparency and auditability as at least “very important.” Without auditable ESG data, projects may not be eligible for tender or financing in many jurisdictions.”The Middle East demonstrates what’s possible when projects are designed holistically. That integrated approach, combined with proper digital infrastructure for procurement, separates projects that deliver from those that stall,” Smith concluded.