Cyprus Boosts Renewable Energy Share Again as EU Remains Off Track for 2030 Target

Cyprus has once again increased the proportion of renewable energy in its gross final energy consumption, according to the latest data released by Eurostat, underscoring steady progress in the country’s energy transition at a time when the European Union as a whole continues to lag behind its long-term climate objectives.

Eurostat data show that renewable sources accounted for 25.2 per cent of gross final energy consumption across the EU in 2024. This represents a rise of 0.7 percentage points compared with 2023, reflecting continued, albeit modest, expansion in the use of clean energy across the bloc.

Despite this upward movement, the European statistical office noted that the EU remains well short of its binding 2030 target. With the goal set at 42.5 per cent, the bloc is still 17.3 percentage points behind. To bridge this gap, renewable energy use would need to grow by an average of 2.9 percentage points per year between 2025 and 2030, a pace significantly faster than current trends.

Against this wider European backdrop, Cyprus recorded a renewable energy share of 21.900 per cent in 2024, continuing a clear and sustained upward trajectory that has been evident for nearly ten years.

In 2015, renewables accounted for just 9.903 per cent of Cyprus’ gross final energy consumption, placing the country among those with a relatively low starting point compared with many other EU member states. The figure dipped slightly in 2016 to 9.833 per cent, before climbing to 10.478 per cent in 2017, marking the start of more consistent growth.

A more pronounced increase followed in 2018, when the renewable share rose to 13.973 per cent. This was followed by a small decline to 13.777 per cent in 2019, as momentum temporarily eased.

Progress accelerated again in 2020, with renewables accounting for 16.879 per cent of gross final energy consumption, representing a notable shift in the country’s energy mix. The upward trend continued in 2021, when the share rose to 19.069 per cent, supported by wider deployment of renewable technologies and targeted policy measures.

Further gains were recorded in 2022, with the share edging up to 19.427 per cent, before crossing the one-fifth threshold in 2023 at 20.259 per cent. By 2024, Cyprus reached 21.900 per cent, reinforcing a long-term pattern of gradual but sustained growth in renewable energy use.

Across the EU, however, renewable energy penetration varied significantly among member states. Sweden recorded the highest share at 62.8 per cent, relying heavily on solid biomass, hydroelectric power and wind energy. Finland followed with 52.1 per cent, drawing primarily on solid biomass, wind and hydro, while Denmark ranked third at 46.8 per cent, with renewables sourced mainly from solid biomass, wind and biogas.

At the lower end of the spectrum, Belgium registered the smallest share of renewables at 14.3 per cent, followed closely by Luxembourg at 14.7 per cent and Ireland at 16.1 per cent, highlighting ongoing disparities in renewable energy uptake across the bloc.

Although Cyprus remains below the EU average of 25.2 per cent, its steady improvement since 2015 places the country on a clearer upward path than in previous years, even as the European Union overall faces an increasingly challenging task in meeting its 2030 renewable energy targets.

By fLEXI tEAM