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Eurostat

Renewable energy in Europe: Denmark in the lead, Czech Republic in last place

Describing this picture is the Eurostat report on the production of energy from renewable sources in the EU countries

by Davide Madeddu (Il Sole 24 Ore) and Ieva Kniukštienė (Delphi, Lithuania)

12 May 2025

3' min read

Almost half of the electricity generated in the EU in 2024 came from renewable energy sources. And in this panorama, Denmark is leading the way, while in last place is the Czech Republic. Describing this picture is the Eurostat report on the production of energy from renewable sources within the EU countries. 88.4 per cent of the energy produced in Denmark is mainly generated by wind. Then there is Portugal, which has 87.5 per cent production from renewables, thanks to the sum of wind and hydro. In third place is Croatia with 73.7% 'mostly hydro'.

Wind and hydro are worth over 2/3

"Wind and hydropower accounted for more than two-thirds of the total electricity generated from renewable sources (39.1 per cent and 29.9 per cent, respectively)," reads the Eurostat note. The remaining third of electricity came from solar (22.4 per cent), fuel fuels (8.1 per cent) and only about 0.5 per cent from geothermal energy'. The lowest shares of renewable energy were recorded in Luxembourg (5.1%), Malta (15.1%) and the Czech Republic (15.9%). In the middle of the ranking is Italy, which does not reach 60%.

Within 19 years (2004 to 2023), the share of renewable energy almost tripled. "The EU has reached a share of 24.5 per cent of its gross final energy consumption from renewable sources in 2023, about 1.5 percentage points higher than in 2022 and almost 3 times higher than in 2004 (9.6 per cent)," reads the Eurostat note. The EU Directive 2023/2413 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources has revised upwards the EU target for renewable energy in 2030 from 32 per cent to 42.5 per cent (with the aim of increasing it to 45 per cent)'.

The Italian Framework

In Italy, according to the findings of Terna, the company that manages the national transmission grid, renewable sources "recorded the highest ever demand coverage figure of 41.2% (compared to 37.1% in 2023)". "The value," he adds, "is increasing thanks to the positive contribution, in particular, of hydroelectric and photovoltaic production. At a territorial level, the change in electricity demand was up everywhere: +2.2% in the North, +2.3% in the Centre, and +2.1% in the South and the Islands.

With regard to supply, Terna wrote in January, 'in 2024 there was a significant growth in renewable production (+13.4%) and a slight decrease in the net balance with foreign countries (-0.5%), as a result of a strong increase in exports (+47.9% compared to 2023) and a more modest increase in imports (+2.4%)'.

Increased net production

In detail, "Italian electricity demand in 2024 was met for 83.7% with domestic production and for the remaining portion (16.3%) by the balance of energy exchanged with foreign countries". What's more, "Net national production (264 billion kWh) is up by 2.7% compared to 2023, with the following breakdown by source," the note explains: double-digit growth in hydroelectric production (+30.4%) and photovoltaic production (+19.3%), which in 2024 reached an all-time record of over 36 TWh. Wind (-5.6%) and geothermal (-0.8%) declined. The thermal source is also decreasing compared to 2023 (-6.2%): in this context, the strong reduction in coal production stands out (-71%), which is now essentially zero, with the exception of Sardinia, which corresponds to a reduction in CO2 emissions estimated at over 8 Mt.

Ancora in calo il mercato dei veicoli commerciali

Green energy protagonist in Lithuania: production to soar in 2024

In 2024, Lithuania marked a historical milestone in the electricity sector: domestic production increased by 37 per cent year-on-year to almost 8 terawatt hours (7.761 TWh). For the first time since the closure of the Ignalina nuclear power plant in 2009, the country covered 63% of total demand with domestic production. Driving this change was the massive increase in generation from renewable sources, which accounted for almost 70% of all electricity production. According to Litgrid, the Lithuanian transmission grid operator, the contribution of solar power plants more than doubled (+101%), while that of wind power increased by 38.3%, with an absolute growth of almost 1 TWh.

The push for renewables has not only strengthened energy self-sufficiency, it has also significantly affected prices. In the week between 28 April and 4 May 2025, Lithuania met 100 per cent of its electricity needs through domestic production, thanks to strong wind power generation. This surplus allowed the country to export energy to Latvia, Sweden and Poland. According to the Lithuanian Energy Agency, wholesale prices have fallen by 39% to 57.6 €/MWh - the lowest value among the Baltic States. The Baltic country's energy transition is thus not only an environmental success, but also a tangible economic benefit.

* This article is part of the European collaborative journalism project "Pulse".