Energy consumption in the EU28 has fallen from a peak of 1830 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) in 2006 to 1680 Mtoe in 2012, according to recent figures released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
Gross inland energy consumption fell in 24 of the 28 Member States between 2006 and 2012, Eurostat said. Consumption increased by 11.2% in Estonia, 2.9% in the Netherlands, and by less than 1% in both Poland and Sweden.
Gross inland energy consumption EU28, in Mtoe(Source: Eurostat)
Domestic production of primary energy reached 794 Mtoe in 2012. Nuclear energy accounted for 29% of primary energy production in 2012, with renewables (22%), solid fuels (21%), gas (17%) and oil (10%), Eurostat said.
The figures for renewables include biomass, hydropower, geothermal energy, wind energy and solar energy. Production from solid biofuels was 87.3 Mtoe in 2012 (47% of the overall renewable total), with hydropower production reaching 28.6 Mtoe (16%); wind 17.7 Mtoe (10%), biogas 12.1 Mtoe (7%); liquid biofuels 11.5 Mtoe (7%), solar 9.1 Mtoe (5%), municipal waste 8.7 Mtoe (5%) and geothermal 5.7 Mtoe (3%).
The energy dependence rate, showing the extent to which a country relies on energy imports, was 53% in the EU28 in 2012. Just one country – Denmark – was a net exporter of energy in 2012, exporting 3% more energy than it consumed. Malta, Luxembourg and Cyprus were dependent on imports for over 97% of their energy consumption in 2012.
The five main energy producers in the EU28 in 2012 accounted for almost two-thirds of total energy production. They were:
- France (133 Mtoe, 17% of total production in the EU28),
- Germany (124 Mtoe, 16%)
- United Kingdom (116 Mtoe, 15%)
- Poland (71 Mtoe, 9%)
- The Netherlands (65 Mtoe, 8%).
For more information or to access the Eurostat figures visit:http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/energy/data/main_tables
