Gas shortages prompted fears that the EU could backslide into reliance on coal. This would be especially alarming given that coal, generally agreed to be the most polluting fossil fuel, is the only fossil fuel explicitly targeted in the COP27 agreement.
Two major unforeseen challenges arose: French nuclear outages as German nuclear outlets closed. The latter meant a serious decrease in hydro-generated power.
Across the whole of 2022, the EU imported 22 million tonnes of coal. Of this, they have only used a third, and the final two-thirds remain unburned in stockpile.
As gas prices already shot up in 2021 due to increased demand following the pandemic, and exceptionally low supply, there were no further changes from gas generation to coal generation.
Coal generation actually fell by 6% from September to December in 2022, and, despite moves like Germany’s controversial expansion of a coal mine in early 2023, this trend is expected to continue.
Europe makes up 10% of global energy demand, with Germany as the lead consumer within that at 20% of EU energy demand. Despite having the largest demand reduction in 2022, France comes in second, at 17%. After that come Italy (11%) and Spain (9%), with the highest consumers per capita being Finland and Sweden.
Solar energy production still only accounts for 7% of European power generation, with wind making up a further 15%. At the national level, wind makes up 55% of Denmark’s electricity mix, 38% of Lithuania’s, and 34% of Ireland’s, while the biggest generators are Germany and Spain.
Although national governments like those of the UK and Germany have stated targets to completely decarbonize power by 2035, Ember is calling for clearer unification from the rest of Europe and the EU to the same end.
Although fossil fuel lobbyists have been shown to be increasing presence at COP, which might slow the global transition to clean energy, Europe approaching and tackling the difficulties of the energy transition head on, will help to facilitate the phase-out of fossil fuels worldwide.