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Cyprus reached 13.9% energy consumption from renewable sources

23/01/2020 15:22

In 2018, the share of energy from renewable sources in gross final energy consumption reached 18.0% in the European Union (EU), up from 17.5% in 2017 and more than double the share in 2004 (8.5%), the first year for which the data are available, according to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

In Cyprus the same rate reached 13.9% in 2018, up from 10.5% in 2017 and only 3.1% in 2004. It should be noted that the 2020 national target for Cyprus was 13%, therefore exeeded.

In Greece, the rate reached an estimate 18% in 2018, up from 17% in 2017 and 7.2% in 2004, while the national target was 18% for 2020.

The EU`s target is to reach 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020 and at least 32% by 2030. Among the 28 EU Member States, 12 Member States have already reached a share equal to or above their national 2020 binding targets: Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus, Finland and Sweden. Four Member States are close to meet their targets (i.e. less than 1 percentage point (pp) away), nine are between 1 and 4 pp away, while three are 4 or more pp away from their targets.

In 2018, the share of renewable sources in gross final energy consumption increased in 21 of the 28 Member States compared with 2017, while remaining stable in one Member State and decreasing in six. Since 2004, it has significantly grown in all Member States. Sweden had by far the highest share in 2018 with more than half (54.6%) of its energy coming from renewable sources, ahead of Finland (41.2%), Latvia (40.3%), Denmark (36.1%) and Austria (33.4%). At the opposite end of the scale, the lowest proportion of renewables was registered in the Netherlands (7.4%). Low shares, less than ten percent, were also recorded in Malta (8.0%), Luxembourg (9.1%) and Belgium (9.4%).

When it comes the 2020 national targets, Romania is 0.1 percentage point (pp) away from its national 2020 objective, Hungary, Austria and Portugal are less than 1 pp away and Germany, Luxembourg and Malta around 2 pp away from their 2020 targets. At the opposite end of the scale, the Netherlands (6.6 pp), France (6.4 pp), Ireland (4.9 pp), the United Kingdom (4.0 pp) and Slovenia (3.9 pp) are the furthest away from their targets.

Meanwhile the share of energy used for transport that comes from renewable sources stood at 8.0% in the European Union (EU) in 2018, compared with 7.1% in 2017, 3.9% in 2008 and 1.4% in 2004, the first year for which data are available.

Compared with 2017, the share of energy from renewable sources used for transport increased in 21 of the 28 Member States in 2018, remained stable in two Member States and decreased in five.

Sweden, with 29.7%, had by far the highest share of renewable energy in transport fuel consumption in 2018, ahead of Finland with 14.1%, the Netherlands 9.6% and Austria 9.8%.

At the opposite end of the scale, the lowest proportion was recorded in Cyprus (2.7%). Low shares (below 4%) were also recorded in Croatia, Greece and Estonia.