Thread by @EmberClimate

🇪🇺 10 Tweet Thread of the EU Power Sector in 2020

Key findings of our fifth annual report with @AgoraEW

1. Renewables overtook fossil fuels as the EU’s main source of electricity in 2020.

ember-climate.org/project/eu-pow…

2. Renewables generated 38% of Europe’s electricity in 2020, overtaking fossil fuels (37%). Nuclear power generated 25% of EU-27 electricity.

This green milestone was also reached in Spain and Germany in 2020.

EU Power Sector in 2020: ember-climate.org/project/eu-pow…

3. This transformation has been driven by rapid growth in #wind and #solar power generation, which have almost doubled since 2015 to deliver 1/5 of EU electricity in 2020.

EU Power Sector in 2020: ember-climate.org/project/eu-pow…

4. The highest shares of #wind and #solar in 2020 were seen in Denmark (61%), Ireland (35%), Germany (33%) and Spain (29%).

EU Power Sector in 2020: ember-climate.org/project/eu-pow…

5. Coal power has halved since 2015, driven by structural growth in wind and solar. In 2020 coal generation fell by 20% to deliver just 13% of Europe’s electricity.

EU Power Sector in 2020: ember-climate.org/project/eu-pow…

6. Fossil gas generation only fell 4% in 2020, supplying 20% of Europe’s electricity. This is more than in 2015.

Although wind and solar are replacing coal, no country has started to see them significantly replacing gas.

EU Power Sector in 2020: ember-climate.org/project/eu-pow…

7. Europe’s electricity demand was down 4% in 2020, reaching lows in April at the peak of Covid-19 lockdowns.

This mostly impacted coal - though it was limited by a bounce-back in demand and below-average nuclear generation.

EU Power Sector in 2020: ember-climate.org/project/eu-pow…

8. Nuclear generation fell a record 10% in 2020, as problems in France and Belgium combined with permanent closures in Sweden and Germany. This was the biggest fall since at least 1990, and possibly ever.

EU Power Sector in 2020: ember-climate.org/project/eu-pow…

9. The rise in renewables was robust despite the pandemic. Wind and solar increased by 51 terawatt-hours in 2020.

However, Europe needs to add 100 TWh *every year* this decade to meet 2030 emissions targets.

EU Power Sector in 2020: ember-climate.org/project/eu-pow…

10. Europe saw its greenest electricity year on record in 2020.

Carbon intensity of EU-27 power reached a record low of 226 grams of CO2 per kilowatt-hour. This is 29% cleaner than in 2015.

The race to zero is picking up pace!

EU Power Sector in 2020: ember-climate.org/project/eu-pow…