EU Hits Record 74% Zero-Emission Power Generation

The European Union has seen its largest share of zero-emission electricity generation so far this year, with 74% of power generated by renewables and nuclear, according to data from industry association Eurelectric.

Year to date, renewables have generated 50.39% of the EU’s electricity and nuclear accounted for 23.5% of power generation, while fossil fuels made up 26.1% of the bloc’s electricity output, the data showed.  

“The electricity generation of Europe has never had such a low-carbon profile before,” Kristian Ruby, Eurelectric Secretary General, told Reuters, commenting on the data.

According to Eurelectric, coal produced 9% of EU electricity and gas accounted for 13% of power generation and these were the lowest shares for each of the fuels for the same period in any year to date.

The surge in solar and wind capacity installations has led to the greenest EU power mix yet, although lower EU power consumption made it easier for renewable energy sources to dent the share of fossil fuels.

In April, for example, the EU saw a record-low power generation from fossil fuels and a record-high share of renewables in the electricity mix, energy think tank Ember says. In April 2024, fossil fuels produced less than a quarter of EU electricity for the first time, while the share of renewables, at a record-high for a single month at 54%, was boosted by wind and solar and a recovery in hydropower compared to April 2023, when droughts had diminished the hydropower share of generation.

However, grid investments are lagging behind renewable additions and a lack of transmission capacity could hold back the energy transition, Ember said in a report earlier this year.

Eurelectric’s Grids for Speed study from May 2024 showed that Europe’s distribution grids need to be urgently modernized to enable massive electrification of transport, heating, and industry, integrate renewables and withstand more frequent extreme weather and cyber threats. The study found that distribution grid investments should increase from an average $35.5 billion (33 billion euros) to $72 billion (67 billion euros) per year from 2025 to 2050, roughly 20% of what the EU spent on fossil fuel imports in 2023.  

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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