Europe’selectricitytransitiontakescrucialstridesforward2024EuropeanElectricityReviewAboutTheEuropeanElectricityReviewanalysesfull-yearelectricitygenerationanddemanddatafor2023inallEU-27countriestounderstandtheregion’sprogressintransitioningfromfossilfuelstocleanelectricity.ItistheeighthannualreportontheEUpowersectorpublishedbyEmber(previouslyasSandbag).Ourdataisfreeandeasilydownloadable,andisavailableatannualandmonthlygranularity.Wehopeothersalsofindthedatausefulfortheirownanalysis.LeadauthorsSarahBrownandDaveJones.OthercontributorsNicolasFulghum,ChelseaBruce-Lockhart,AlisonCandlin,MattEwen,PawełCzyżak,KostantsaRangelova,LeoHeberer,ChrisRosslowe,ReynaldoDizon,JosieMurdoch,HannahBroadbent,PhilMacDonald,SamHawkins,RichardBlack,AdityaLolla,HarryBenham.DisclaimerTheinformationinthisreportiscompleteandcorrecttothebestofourknowledge,butifyouspotanerror,pleaseemailinfo@ember-climate.org.CreativeCommonsThisreportispublishedunderaCreativeCommonsShareAlikeAttributionLicence(CCBY-SA4.0).Youareactivelyencouragedtoshareandadaptthereport,butyoumustcredittheauthorsandtitle,andyoumustshareanymaterialyoucreateunderthesamelicence.Copyright©Ember,2024205Executivesummary09Chapter1:Pathwaytocleanpower09Encouragingprogressindifficulttimes11Chapter2:TheBigPicture12Insight1:Recordfossilcollapseshowstheshifttocleanpowerinaction20Insight2:WindandsolararedrivingrenewablesgrowthtowardsREPowerEUtargets30Insight3:Afterdisruptiontodemand,anincreaseisonthehorizon36Insight4:TheEUmovestowardsanewmodeofsystemflexibility45Chapter3:EUElectricityTrends46ElectricityGeneration:EUElectricityTrends202349ElectricityDemand:EUElectricityTrends202353PowerSectorCO2Emissions:EUElectricityTrends202357Chapter4:EUElectricitySourceTrends58Solar62Wind66Coal70Gas74Hydro78Nuclear82BioenergyContents3Contents86Conclusion87Supportingmaterials87Methodology94AcknowledgementsHighlights-19%44%55TWhRecordfallinbothfossilgenerationandCO2emissionsRecordshareofrenewablesintheEUelectricitymix,over40%forthefirsttimeRecordannualgrowthinwindgenerationpushesitabovegasforthefirsttime4Arecordfallincoal,gasandCO2emissionsin2023lefttheEUwithacleanerelectricitymixthanever,asrenewablestookmajorstepsforward.TheEU’selectricitytransitionisinfullswing.Europe’selectricitytransitiontakescrucialstridesforwardExecutiveSummaryTheEUaccelerateditsshiftawayfromfossilfuelsin2023,withrecordfallsincoal,gasandemissions.Fossilfuelsdroppedbyarecord19%totheirlowesteverlevelatlessthanonethirdoftheEU’selectricitygeneration.Renewablesrosetoarecord44%share,surpassing40%forthefirsttime.Windandsolarcontinuedtobethedriversofthisrenewablesgrowth,producingarecord27%ofEUelectricityin2023andachievingtheirlargesteverannualcapacityadditions.Furthermore,windgenerationreachedamajormilestone,surpassinggasforthefirsttime.Cleangenerationreachedmorethantwo-thirdsofEUelectricity,doublefossil’sshare,ashydroreboundedandnuclearpartiallyrecoveredfromlastyear’slowsalongsidetheincreaseinwindandsolar.Coalwasalreadyinlong-termdecline,andthattrendresumedin2023.Thetemporaryslowdownincoalplantclosuresduringtheenergycrisisdidnotpreventahugefallincoalgenerationthisyear,withawaveofplantclosuresimminentin2024.Gasgenerationfellforthefourthconsecutiveyear,andascoalnearsphase-outinmanycountries,gaswillbenexttoenterterminaldecline.Inadditiontocleangrowth,fallingelectricitydemandalsocontribute...
