Brussels
According to one analysis, wind and solar energy capacity in the EU has increased by almost two-thirds in recent years. From 2019 to 2023, it rose by 65 percent, with Germany making the largest contribution compared to member states, according to a report by the think tank Ember. 22 percent of the increase in EU wind and solar energy capacity came from Germany, followed by Spain (13 percent).
“While these two countries have been leaders, great progress has been made across the region,” the report said. More than half of the 27 EU member states are expected to have at least doubled their wind and solar energy capacity during this period.
In view of the development across the EU, the expansion of solar energy is particularly striking: from 2019 to 2023, solar capacity more than doubled, to 257 gigawatts last year. “That is equivalent to installing more than 230,000 solar panels per day over these four years,” the report authors said. Wind power increased by almost a third to 219 gigawatts in the same period.
According to the report, this new wind and solar energy has increased the share of wind and solar energy in electricity production in the EU: from 17 percent in 2019 to 27 percent in 2023.
Why the energy structure in Europe is changing
The think tank said the EU energy sector has changed significantly since 2019. “Ambitious, leading climate action, coupled with targeted action to transition away from Russian gas, has grown into real and sustainable momentum,” said expert Sarah Brown of Ember.
The European Commission with chairman Ursula von der Leyen at the top started working on December 1, 2019. One of the largest projects is the so-called ‘Green Deal’ – a strategy that includes measures in areas such as transport, industry and agriculture, as well as energy.
By 2030, renewable energy is expected to account for 42.5 percent of total energy consumption in the EU. Moreover, the energy crisis resulting from Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine in 2022 also accelerated the expansion of renewable energy sources. The EU is trying to become less dependent on Russian gas.
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