European Electricity Review 2024

Low carbon sources now make up a record 67% share of the electricity mix in the EU 🇪🇺 following an unprecedented collapse in generation from fossilfuels last year.

In 2023, coal fell by a record 23% and gas fell by a record 15%, pushing power sector emissions down a record 19% – an even greater fall than in 2020 when the pandemic struck.

Other highlights:
➡️ Renewables reached a record 44% share, surpassing 40% for the first time.
➡️ Wind generation reached 55 TWh, exceeding gas generation for the first time.
➡️ Coal power generation has halved since 2016 and one fifth of the EU’s coal plants will close in the next two years.

Wind and solar climbed to a 27% share but it’s clear how important hydro and nuclear still are to the EU (and will remain to be).

This is great progress from the bloc, which is aiming to reduce all emissions by 90% from 1990 levels by 2040. There is more work ahead though, and if anything, growth in wind and solar probably needs to accelerate.

Things are heading in the right direction though, as both wind and solar achieved their largest ever capacity additions in 2023.

Chart is from the European Electricity Review 2024 from Ember.

Onwards and upwards!