23.01.2025 09:54
The European Union announced that in 2024, the share of solar energy in electricity generation has surpassed that of coal for the first time. The share of solar energy reached 11%, while coal fell below 10%. Renewable energy sources accounted for 47% of the EU's electricity generation.
The share of solar energy in the European Union's (EU) electricity generation surpassed coal for the first time in 2024. According to the European Electricity Assessment report by the London-based international energy think tank Ember, the EU's electricity sector is undergoing a profound transformation with the European Green Deal.
WHILE THE SHARE OF SOLAR ENERGY INCREASES, COAL'S SHARE DECLINES
Last year, the share of solar energy in the EU's electricity generation reached 11%, while coal's share fell below 10% for the first time. Thus, the share of solar energy in the EU's electricity generation surpassed coal for the first time in 2024. The share of wind energy in electricity generation was 17%, and the share of natural gas was 16%. With strong growth in solar energy and a recovery in hydroelectric production, the EU sourced 47% of its electricity from renewable energy sources last year. The total share of fossil fuels in electricity generation was 29%. The remainder of the production was met by other sources, including nuclear energy. In the EU, prior to the Green Deal in 2019, the share of fossil fuels in electricity generation was estimated at 39%, while the share of renewable sources was 34%.
SOLAR ENERGY IS GROWING IN EVERY EU COUNTRY
According to the report, half of the EU countries currently have no coal in their electricity generation or have it below 5%, while solar production is showing growth in every EU country. Coal was the third largest electricity generation source in the EU in 2019. Electricity generation from natural gas in the EU has also continued its downward trend for the fifth consecutive year. Ember calculated that the EU has freed itself from $59 billion in fossil fuel imports due to the new wind and solar energy capacity added in the last 5 years.
"THE TRANSFORMATION HAS BEEN FASTER THAN EXPECTED"
Chris Rosslowe, Ember's Senior Analyst and the lead author of the report, stated that the EU has significantly reduced its coal-based electricity generation with solar and wind energy, and that gas usage has entered a structural decline, saying, "The EU's electricity transformation process has progressed faster than expected in the last 5 years, but we cannot be certain of further developments. Especially in the wind sector, which faces unique challenges and an increasing delivery gap, acceleration of delivery is needed. By 2030, annual additional wind energy installations need to be more than double the levels of 2024." Rosslowe also noted that the successes achieved in the last 5 years should instill confidence for the future.