Record Growth for Renewables in Europe: Wind and Solar Leading the Electricity Mix

Recent data from the think tank Ember highlight a significant transformation in the European energy landscape, with a marked decline in the use of fossil fuels and a corresponding increase in the use of renewable energy.

In the past month, gas, coal, and oil contributed only 23% of the European Union's total electricity production, marking the lowest value ever recorded. This decline occurs in a context of continuous growth in electricity demand, demonstrating an important shift towards more sustainable energy sources.

Wind and Solar Lead Emission Reductions

Particularly noteworthy has been the contribution of renewable energy: for the first time, wind and solar covered more than one-third of the European electricity mix, together with hydroelectric power reaching 54% of the total.

This result is even more significant considering that in April alone, wind and solar energy generated a total volume of 68 TWh, more than double that produced by hydroelectric power, which stood at 32 TWh.

Italy played a key role in this change, contributing 15% to the overall decline in the use of fossil fuels in European electricity production. In general, in April, fossil sources covered less than a quarter of electricity generation in Europe, standing at 23%, a sharp decline from 27% in May 2023.

From an emissions perspective, April 2024 marked another record, with only 38 million tons of CO2 emitted by the energy sector, 10% less than the previous historic low. This decrease reflects the reduction in fossil fuel use and the increase in renewables.

Germany Leads the Reduction of Fossil Sources in Europe

At the national level, Germany led the decrease in fossil sources, with a 26% drop compared to April 2023, equivalent to 4.8 TWh. This represents about one-third of the total decrease recorded across the EU.

Italy also showed a significant reduction, with a 24% drop equivalent to 2.2 TWh. Other countries such as Spain, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium recorded decreases between 1.5 and 1 TWh.

Overall, Ember's data paints a picture of a Europe increasingly oriented towards a sustainable energy future, where renewable energy plays an increasingly central role in meeting the growing demand for electricity, while the use of fossil sources continues to decline significantly.