By AFP - Agence France Presse
Solar power overtakes coal as an EU energy source
PARIS - Solar energy has overtaken coal in the European Union's electricity production by 2024, with the share of renewables rising to almost half of the bloc's power sector, according to a report released on Thursday.
Meanwhile, gas generation declined for the fifth consecutive year and fossil fuel power fell to an “all-time low”, climate think tank Ember said in its European Electricity Review 2025.
“The European Green Deal has delivered a profound and rapid transformation of the EU's energy sector,” said the think tank.
“Solar remained the fastest growing energy source in the EU in 2024, overtaking coal for the first time. Wind power remained the EU's second-largest energy source, above gas and below nuclear power.”
Overall, the strong growth in solar and wind power has increased the share of renewables to 47%, up from 34% in 2019.
Fossil fuels fell from 39% to 29%.
“An increase in wind and solar generation is the main reason for the decline in fossil generation. Without wind and solar capacity added since 2019, the EU would have imported 92 billion cubic meters more fossil gas and 55 million tons more coal, for 59 billion euros,” said the report.
According to Ember, these trends are widespread across Europe, with solar energy making progress in all EU countries.
More than half have already phased out coal, the most polluting fossil fuel, or reduced its share to less than 5% of their energy mix.
“Fossil fuels are losing their grip on EU energy,” said Chris Rosslowe, lead author of the report.
“At the start of the European Green Deal in 2019, few thought that the EU's energy transition would be where it is today: wind and solar power are relegating coal to the margins and pushing gas into decline.”
- Battery storage
But Rosslowe warned that there is still a lot of work ahead.
“We need to accelerate our efforts, especially in the wind energy sector,” he said.
Europe's electricity system will also need to increase its storage capacity to make the most of renewables, which are by definition intermittent, he added.
In 2024, the abundance of solar power helped drive down prices in the middle of the day, sometimes even resulting in “negative or zero price hours” due to an overabundance of supply about demand.
“One readily available solution is a battery located next to a solar plant. This gives solar producers more control over the prices they receive and helps them avoid selling for low prices in the middle of the day,” said the report.
The think tank suggested that consumers could reduce their bills by shifting usage to periods of plenty (smart electrification), while battery operators could earn revenue by buying energy when prices are low and selling it back when demand peaks.
Batteries have advanced significantly in recent years, with installed capacity across the EU doubling to 16 GW in 2023, compared to 8 GW in 2022, according to Ember.
However, this capacity is concentrated in only a small number of countries: 70% of existing batteries were located in Germany and Italy at the end of 2023.
“More storage and demand flexibility is needed to sustain growth and for consumers to reap the full benefits of abundant solar energy,” said Ember.
“After a few challenging years for the wind energy sector, additions should grow, but not enough to meet EU targets. Closing this gap will require continued policy implementation and political support so that the rate of additions between now and 2030 is more than double that of recent years.”
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