EU reduces its annual share of renewable energy consumption for the first time
CE Noticias Financieras
MADRID, 19 (SERVIMEDIA) The European Union reached a 21.8% share of gross final consumption of energy from renewable sources in 2021, which is 0.3 percentage points compared to 2020 and the first decline ever recorded. According to Eurostat data released Thursday, that 21.8% share is well below the 32% target set for 2030 for the EU as a whole, so countries should intensify their efforts, even more so considering that the European Commission issued in 2021 its proposal to amend the Renewable Energy Directive, where it aims to increase this target to 40%, and the 2022 REPowerEU plan further raises this target to 45%. Sweden led the 2021 ranking with more than half of its energy coming from renewable sources in its gross final energy consumption (62.6%), by relying mainly on a combination of biomass, hydropower, wind, heat pumps and liquid biofuels. Behind them were Finland (43.1%) and Latvia (42.1%), which mainly use biomass and hydropower, as well as Estonia (37.6%), which relies mainly on biomass and wind power; Austria (36.4%), mainly hydropower and biomass; and Denmark (34.7%), mainly biomass and wind power. Fifteen of the 27 EU member states were below the EU average in 2021, namely Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and Spain. The lowest shares of renewable energies were recorded in Luxembourg (11.7%), Malta (12.2%), the Netherlands (12.3%), Ireland (12.5%) and Belgium (13.0%). Spain ranked thirteenth with 20.7%. DATA SINCE 2004 The Eurostat statistical series, which begins in 2004 and collected by Servimedia, indicates that Spain has ranked between twelfth place in 2009 (13.0%) and sixteenth in 2013 (15.1%). Sweden has always led the ranking, followed by Finland in 2010 and since 2014, or Latvia between 2004 and 2007, in 2009 and between 2011 and 2013. In contrast, the lowest shares of renewables were for Malta from 2004 to 2012 and in 2020; Luxembourg between 2013 and 2017, and in 2019 and 2021; and the Netherlands in 2018. All EU countries have improved gross final consumption of energy from renewable sources since 2004, with the largest increases for Sweden (up 24.1 percentage points), Denmark (19.9) and Estonia (19.2). In the case of Spain, the increase is 12.4 percentage points, slightly more than the EU average (12.2 points). In the decade between 2012 and 2021, only Hungary has reduced its share of renewables (-1.4 points). The largest increases belong to Sweden (up 13.2 points), Estonia (12.0) and Cyprus (11.3). In this case, Spain has raised its share by 6.5 points. Renewable energy sources cover solar thermal and photovoltaic, hydroelectric (including tidal, wave and ocean), wind, geothermal and all forms of biomass (including biowaste and liquid biofuels). (SERVIMEDIA)19-JAN-2023 13:34 (GMT +1)MGR/clc © SERVIMEDIA. This information is property of Servimedia. It may only be disseminated by clients of this news agency citing Servimedia as author or source. All rights reserved. Distribution and public communication by third parties by any means or media is prohibited.