In Cyprus, the share of gross final energy consumption from renewable sources was at 18.4% in 2021, below the European average of 21.8%, having however increased steadily since 2004 and the country’s accession into the EU, data released by Eurostat on Friday show. Compared to 2020, the share increased by 1.5 percentage points (from 16.9%). In 2019, the share had been at 13.8%.

The share of gross final energy consumption from renewable sources at EU level reached 21.8% in 2021, marking a slight decrease of 0.3 percentage points (pp) compared to 2020 (the first decrease ever recorded).

In its press release, Eurostat notes that the EU has set an EU-wide target for a 32% share of renewables by 2030. Also, in 2021 the Commissoin has proposed amending the target to 40%, and in 2022 it has included a further proposal in its REPowerEU plan which would bring the target to 45%.

In addition to the effect that lifting COVID-19 restrictions in 2021 had on increasing energy consumption, which decreased the share of renewables (despite an increase in renewable energy production in absolute terms compared with 2020), a change in methodology also helps explain this development, as the data is calculated on the basis of a new directive in 2021.

Sweden in first place, 15 member states below EU average

With more than half of their energy from renewable sources in its gross final consumption of energy, Sweden (62.6%, relying mostly on a mix of biomass, hydro, wind, heat pumps and liquid biofuels) had by far the highest share among the EU Member States in 2021.

Sweden is followed by Finland (43.1%) and Latvia (42.1%) (both using mostly biomass and hydro), Estonia (37.6%, relying mostly on biomass and wind), Austria (36.4%, mostly hydro and biomass) and Denmark (34.7%, mostly biomass and wind).

In total, 15 of the 27 EU members reported shares below the EU average in 2021 (Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Ireland, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Poland and Slovakia).

The lowest proportions of renewables were recorded in Luxembourg (11.7%), Malta (12.2%), the Netherlands (12.3%), Ireland (12.5%) and Belgium (13.0%).