BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 21. In 2023, renewable energy sources accounted for 45.3% of gross electricity consumption in the European Union, marking a notable 4.1 percentage point (pp) increase compared to 2022, Trend reports.
This rise represents the largest annual increase in the share of renewable energy in gross electricity consumption since the data series began in 2004. The previous largest increases occurred in 2022 and 2020, with gains of 3.5 pp and 3.3 pp, respectively.
The growth in renewable energy consumption was largely driven by wind and hydropower, which together made up more than two-thirds of the total electricity generated from renewable sources. Wind energy accounted for 38.5% of the total, while hydropower contributed 28.2%. Solar power followed, contributing 20.5% to the overall renewable energy mix, with solid biofuels and other renewable sources making up 6.2% and 6.6%, respectively.
Over the past decade, wind and solar power have been the main drivers of growth in renewable electricity. Solar energy, in particular, has seen rapid expansion, increasing from just 7.4 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2008 (representing only 1% of total electricity) to 252.1 TWh in 2023.
In terms of individual EU countries, Austria, Sweden, and Denmark led the way in renewable energy use. In 2023, over 75% of the electricity consumed in these countries was generated from renewable sources. Austria was the top performer, with 87.8% of its electricity coming from renewables, primarily hydropower. Sweden followed closely with 87.5%, mainly from hydro and wind energy, while Denmark’s renewable share stood at 79.4%, primarily from wind power. Other countries with shares above 50% included Portugal (63.0%), Croatia (58.8%), Spain (56.9%), Latvia (54.3%), and Finland (52.4%).
On the other hand, a few countries had lower shares of renewable electricity. Malta had the smallest share, with only 10.7%, followed by Czechia at 16.4%, Luxembourg at 18.0%, and Hungary at 19.5%.