ECONOMY
Solar overtakes coal in EU power sector for 1st time in 2024: Report

Baku, January 23, AZERTAC
A new report by London-based energy think tank Ember said that solar power generation overtook coal in the EU for the first time in 2024, reaching 11% of the bloc's electricity mix, while coal's share fell below 10%, according to Anadolu Agency.
Ember's latest report European Electricity Review analyses full-year electricity generation and demand data for 2024 in all EU-27 countries to understand the region’s progress in transitioning from fossil fuels to clean electricity.
“The EU power sector is undergoing a deep transformation, spurred on by the European Green Deal,” the report said.
The share of wind energy in electricity generation was 17%, while the share of natural gas was 16%, the report revealed.
The report highlighted that strong solar growth, combined with a recovery of hydropower, pushed the share of renewables to nearly half of EU power generation, reaching 47%.
In 2024, fossil fuels accounted for 29% of the EU's electricity generation. In 2019, before the Green Deal, fossil fuels provided 39% of EU electricity while renewables provided 34%, the report noted.
- Solar energy grows in every EU country
Solar is growing in every EU country and more than half now have either no coal power or a share below 5% in their power mix, according to the report.
Coal, once the EU's third-largest power source in 2019, dropped to the sixth-largest by 2024, signaling the imminent decline of the most polluting fossil fuel, the report added.
EU gas generation continued its downward trend, falling by 6% for the fifth consecutive year, despite a slight 1% increase in electricity demand.
Ember's report reveals that the EU's recent expansion of wind and solar power prevented the import of an additional 92 billion cubic meters of fossil gas and 55 million tonnes of coal, resulting in €59 billion in avoided costs.
Commenting on the report, Chris Rosslowe, a senior energy and climate data analyst at Ember said that fossil fuels were fading in the EU as wind and solar outpace coal and push gas into decline, accelerating the Green Deal’s 2019 vision.
“While the EU's electricity transition has moved faster than anyone expected in the last five years, further progress cannot be taken for granted,” Rosslowe noted.
“Delivery needs to be accelerated particularly in the wind sector, which has faced unique challenges and a widening delivery gap,” he added. “Between now and 2030, annual wind additions need to more than double compared to 2024 levels.”
“However, the achievements of the past five years should instil confidence that, with continued drive and commitment, challenges can be overcome and a more secure energy future be achieved,” he said.