Increases in wind and solar energy, combined with a sharp decline in fossil fuels, put renewables, as a whole, at the forefront of electricity generation in the European Union (EU) in 2023.
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The renewable energy were the main source of electricity in the European Union (EU) in 2023, according to preliminary data from Eurostat.
Renewable energies accounted for the 44.7% of all electricity productiongenerating 1.21 million gigawatt hours (GWh), a 12.4% more than in 2022. The rapid installation of new projects solar and wind throughout the bloc has contributed to increasing this figure.
In comparison, electricity generated from fossil fuels fell 19.7%, contributing 0.88 GWh or 32.5% of the EU’s energy. Natural gas supplies fell 7.4% from 2022, the lowest level since 1995. The largest declines in natural gas consumption were recorded in Portugal, Austria and the Czech Republic.
He Supply of oil and derivatives fell by 1.5%The total supply of these fossil fuels has been slowly declining over the years, with the slight exception of 2022, during the post-pandemic recovery.
And the last year They registered even steeper declines in the case of coal: Lignite, commonly used for electricity generation, and hard coal, used for heating and steelmaking, fell to their lowest level since records began. This decline comes after a general decline in usage across the block for many years.
Why has there been a sharp decline in fossil fuels?
In 2022, the energy crisis and hydropower and nuclear power problems due to a hot and dry summer combined to create a dramatic situation for the EU electricity supply. Faced with these problems, the bloc presented its ‘RePowerEU’ planwhose objective was save energy, diversify supply and boost the transition to clean energy.
According to preliminary data from Eurostat, these decisions taken in 2022 appear to have had a “significant positive impact” in the EU’s energy supply. The bloc saw a notable rise in renewable energy and a sharp decline in fossil fuels, particularly natural gas and coal.
Which renewable sources grew the most?
Last year was a record year for solar energy all over the world, and Europe was no exception. It is currently one of the cheapest forms of electricity in most countries, with prices reaching record lows in 2023.
A study published last year by the University of Exeter and University College London predicted that the solar energy will reach an “irreversible tipping point” and become the main source of energy in the world in 2050.
Preliminary data from Eurostat show that the further increase in renewable energy in the EU last year came from the solar energy. Compared to 2022, it generated 18.9% more electricity in the EU in 2023. And, in the five years from 2018 to 2023, photovoltaic energy production has increased by no less than 126.3%.
The installation of wind power also broke records in 2023. In Europethe projects in high seas and the strong growth in Netherlands They drove the increase in capacity.
In the EUAccording to Eurostat, wind electricity generation increased by 13.4% compared to 2022. Overall, wind power contributed more electricity to the EU in 2023 than natural gas.
The electricity from hydroelectric origin It was also higher in 2023 than in 2023, but because droughts and heat across Europe limited capacity, 2022 is considered an outlier year.
On the wholeThese developments made renewable energy the main source of electricity in the EU by 2023.
