In Europe, solar energy has surpassed coal as a source of electricity.
In 2022, coal became the primary source of electricity in the European Union for the first time, surpassing solar energy. According to a Eurostat report, the share of coal in total electricity production was 210,249 GWh, while solar energy was 205,693 GWh.
Coal is the main type of fuel for electricity production only in Poland, while in 9 EU countries, lignite with lower energy content is used.
The EU's dependence on coal imports in 2022 was 74.4%, 15 percentage points higher than in 2021. This is due to the increase in coal reserves in EU countries, which added 9 million tons to their stocks in 2022.
In 2022, Russia became the largest supplier of coal to the EU, but due to the ban on its import because of the conflict with Ukraine, import volumes decreased by 45%.
In 2023, coal consumption in the EU decreased to its lowest level, reaching 351 million tons (-23%). Poland and Germany became the main consumers of coal in the region, accounting for over 60% of consumption.
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