Belgium generates more electricity from renewables than from fossil fuels for first time
In 2023, wind and solar energy accounted for 27.7 per cent of Belgium's electricity production. This is a notable increase from the 13.4 per cent in 2019 and 19.5 per cent in 2022, De Standaard reports. It is the first time that Belgium has produced more electricity from renewable sources than fossil fuels.
In 2023, renewables - solar, wind, biomass and waste - accounted for more than 30 per cent of the energy mix, according to calculations by the specialist website Energy-charts.info. In absolute terms, renewable energy, with 23,460 gigawatt-hours (GWh), surpassed electricity from fossil fuels, which accounted for 22,150 GWh.
The increase isn't just due to the construction of additional wind turbines and solar panels. It is also the result of reduced electricity production due to the closure of nuclear reactors Doel 3 and Tihange 2 and a further decline in consumption. Within Belgium, 76,900 GWh was produced last year, 13 per cent less than in the previous year.
This trend is also evident in other countries. In Germany, for example, the share of electricity from renewables - the result of investment in renewables combined with lower consumption - has risen to over 50 per cent for similar reasons.
© BELGA PHOTO JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE
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