Solar power surpasses coal in EU for first time

Photo voltaic overtook coal within the European Union’s electrical energy manufacturing in 2024, with the share of renewables rising to virtually half the bloc’s energy sector, in accordance with a report launched Thursday.

Fuel era, in the meantime, declined for the fifth 12 months in a row and fossil-fueled energy dipped to a “historic low”, local weather suppose tank Ember mentioned in its European Electrical energy Evaluate 2025.

“The European Green Deal has delivered a deep and rapid transformation of the EU power sector,” the suppose tank mentioned.

“Solar remained the EU’s fastest-growing power source in 2024, rising above coal for the first time. Wind power remained the EU’s second-largest power source, above gas and below nuclear.”

Total, sturdy progress in photo voltaic and wind have boosted the share of renewables to 47 %, up from 34 % in 2019.

Fossil fuels have fallen from 39 to 29 %.

“A surge in wind and solar generation is the main reason for declining fossil generation. Without wind and solar capacity added since 2019, the EU would have imported 92 billion cubic meters more of fossil gas and 55 million tonnes more of hard coal, costing €59 billion,” the report mentioned.

In line with Ember, these traits are widespread throughout Europe, with solar energy progressing in all EU nations.

Greater than half have now both eradicated coal, essentially the most polluting fossil gas, or lowered its share to lower than 5 % of their vitality combine.

“Fossil fuels are losing their grip on EU energy,” mentioned Chris Rosslowe, lead creator of the report.

“At the start of the European Green Deal in 2019, few thought the EU’s energy transition would be where it is today: wind and solar are relegating coal to the margins and pushing gas into decline.”

Battery storage

However Rosslowe cautioned a lot work stays.

“We need to accelerate our efforts, particularly in the wind power sector,” he mentioned.

Europe’s electrical energy system can even want to extend its storage capability to benefit from renewable energies, that are by definition intermittent, he added.

In 2024, plentiful photo voltaic vitality helped drive down costs in the course of the day, generally even leading to “negative or zero price hours” as a result of an overabundance of provide in comparison with demand.

“A readily available solution is a battery co-located with a solar plant. This gives solar power producers more control over the prices they receive and helps them avoid selling for low prices in the middle of the day,” the report mentioned.

The suppose tank urged shoppers might scale back their payments by shifting utilization to intervals of abundance (good electrification), whereas battery operators might earn income from shopping for energy when costs are low and promoting it again when demand peaks.

Batteries have superior considerably lately, with put in capability throughout the EU doubling to 16 GW in 2023, in contrast with 8 GW in 2022, in accordance with Ember.

However this capability is concentrated in only a small variety of nations: 70 % of present batteries had been positioned in Germany and Italy on the finish of 2023.

“More storage and demand flexibility is needed to sustain growth and for consumers to reap the full benefits of abundant solar,” Ember mentioned.

“After a challenging few years for the wind power sector, additions are set to grow, but not by enough to hit EU targets. Closing this gap will require continued policy implementation and political support, such that the rate of additions between now and 2030 is more than double that of recent years.”

© 2025 AFP