2024-08-21 07:00:00
EraAccording to Eurostat, solar energy surpassed coal in EU electricity generation for the first time in 2022. The former’s share rose to 210,249 GWh, while the latter’s was 205,693 GWh.
Poland and Czechoslovakia remain the only two coal producers in the EU: output was 50 million tonnes last year, down 82% from 277 million tonnes in 1990.
Russia is the largest coal exporter to the EU
Eurostat also noted that the EU’s dependence on coal imports reached its highest level in 2022 at 74.4%, an increase of 15% from 2021, which can be explained by the creation of large inventories (9 million tons). However, coal import dependence is still lower than oil and natural gas, both of which are above 97%.
READ ALSO In the Mosel, coal’s tragic revengeRussia remains the main supplier of coal to the EU in 2022, with a share of 24%, ahead of the United States (18%) and Australia (17%). However, coal imports from Russia fell 45% in 2022 from 2021 to 21 million tonnes, due to European sanctions against Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine.
Finally, according to Eurostat, preliminary monthly data show that total EU coal consumption falls to its lowest level in 2023, reaching 351 million tonnes, a 23% drop of more than 100 million tonnes, the largest annual drop ever for the fuel. In 2023, Germany (37%) and Poland (27%) will be the main consumers of EU coal.
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