Europe is a pioneer in the deployment of modern renewable energy technologies. The region can boast to be the home of the first offshore wind park and the first continent to have seen renewable policy schemes introduced. With the European Union striving to become carbon neutral by 2050, renewable energy investments will continue to be paramount in the future. However, as renewables account for roughly 22 percent of
Wind energy in Europe
Wind energy is the greatest renewable contributor to the
EU’s power mix. Electricity generation from wind sources grew to 421 terawatt hours in 2022, having seen the strongest year-on-year growth rates next to solar. The total wind power capacity in Europe stood at 240 gigawatts in 2022, and offshore wind installations reached 42 gigawatts in 2023. The United Kingdom is the
European country with the largest offshore capacity, followed by Germany and the Netherlands.
Europe's solar energy sector
The Earth absorbs some 3,850,000 exajoules of solar energy every year, some of which is successfully harnessed through solar panels and converted into heat and electricity. In the European Union, Germany has the greatest
cumulative solar photovoltaic capacity, followed by Italy and the Netherlands. Germany was also the
leading producer of solar power, at almost 50 terawatt hours in 2022. Solar energy is growing rapidly in the region, with more tan 32 gigawatts of
solar photovoltaic capacity added in 2022.
Hydropower in Europe
Hydroelectricity is one of the so-called first-generation technologies, the earliest commercialized renewable sources. However, the use and erection of hydropower facilities and dams – especially large ones – comes with environmental side effects such as damage to wildlife habitats and its promotion has been heavily debated. While China and Brazil have seen massive growth in capacity additions, in Europe, investment has been more conservative. Norway has the
greatest overall capacity, followed by Turkey, which is still looking to expand its hydro resources. In total,
Europe consumed roughly 5.3 exajoules of hydroelectricity in 2022.
Europe's bioenergy use
Also a first-generation technology, bioenergy is a major contributor to the EU’s renewable power mix. Similarly to hydropower, its inclusion as a renewable source is controversial as scientists debate its carbon footprint. As of 2022, Europe as a whole had a
bioenergy capacity of 41.6. In that same year, the EU’s
primary energy production from solid biomass amounted to 98 million metric tons of oil equivalent. Germany was the
leading consumer of solid biomass that year, followed by France and Sweden.
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