Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in 2020 comprised 37% of the total gross electric energy consumption in the European Union, according to Eurostat on Wednesday, while in Greece 35% of the electricity consumed was produced by RES.
The EU average rose from 34% of all electricity consumed in 2019, the statistical service said.
Wind and hydroelectric power represented over two-thirds of the total electricity produced by RES (36% and 33%, respectively, for each type). The remaining one-third was produced by solar energy (14%), solid biofuels (8%), and other RES (8%). According to Eurostat, solar energy is the fastest-growing source: in 2008 it represented only 1% of electricity consumed in the EU.
Among EU member states, the highest or over-70% RES rate was registered in Austria (78%) and Sweden (75%). RES representing over half the electricity consumed was also high in Denmark (65%), Portugal (58%), and Croatia and Latvia (53% each).
Countries with the lowest rate of RES-produced electricity recorded in 2020 were Malta (10%), Hungary and Cyprus (12% each), Luxembourg (14%) and the Czech Republic (15%).
AMNA