The share of fossil fuels in electricity generation in the EU has fallen sharply

According to the results of the first half of the year, electricity generation from fossil fuels decreased in the EU by 17% compared to last year, follows from the report. Ember Climate. The EU countries received 410 TWh of electricity from the processing of fossil fuels, which accounted for 33% of the total. This is the lowest figure in the history of statistics, that is, since 2000.

As noted in the report, the reason for the change was primarily the reduction in the use of coal. Coal-fired power generation has dropped “staggeringly,” according to the report, by 23%. At the same time, in May, the share of coal in the EU energy system for the first time in history fell below 10% of the total. Gas consumption decreased by 13% in the first half of the year.

But the share of energy derived from renewable sources, on the contrary, increased compared to last year: solar – by 13%, and wind – by 5%. The generation of hydroelectric power plants increased by 11%. At the same time, the generation of nuclear power plants decreased by 4%, but, as the authors of the study note, the volume of electricity generation from nuclear power plants should increase in the second half of the year.

In general, 17 countries at once set national records for the share of renewable sources in total electricity generation. At the same time, in the case of Portugal and Denmark, this figure for the first time reached 75%.

As noted in the report, the shift in favor of renewable energy sources in the EU countries was dictated by a sharp rise in fuel prices due to the military conflict in Ukraine that began last spring and the subsequent reduction in energy consumption by countries. Thus, according to the results of the first half of this year, the energy consumption of the EU countries fell to a record low of 1261 TWh.

Kirill Sarkhanyants