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Due to the lack of diversification of energy production sources in the last 30 years, Albania ranks third in Europe for the highest dependence on renewable sources.
Recent Eurostat data show that, in 2020, renewable energy sources accounted for 37% of gross electricity consumption in the EU, from 34% in 2019, while Albania has 100% of this dependence, ranking third after Norway and Iceland, which cover the needs of domestic consumption with renewable energy and are surplus respectively 113 and 102.7%.
Wind energy and hydropower accounted for over two thirds of the total electricity generated from renewable sources (36% and 33%, respectively) in the EU. The remaining third of electricity came from solar energy (14%), solid biofuels (8%) and other renewable sources (8%).
Solar energy is the fastest growing source: in 2008, it accounted for only 1% of the electricity consumed in the EU.
Unlike these countries, Albania has concentrated the production of renewable energy in hydropower plants, while initiatives for the production of energy from the sun and wind have remained in place.
Among EU member states, more than 70% of electricity consumed in 2020 is generated from renewable sources in Austria (78%) and Sweden (75%).
Electricity generation from renewable sources was also high and accounted for more than half of the electricity consumed in Denmark (65%), Portugal (58%), Croatia and Latvia (both 53%).
At the other end of the scale, the share of electricity from renewable sources was 15% or less in Malta (10%), Hungary and Cyprus (both 12%), Luxembourg (14%) and the Czech Republic (15%), Kosovo with only 5.3% and Moldova with only 3.1%.
The use of renewable energy has many major benefits to the environment, which include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, diversifying energy supplies and a low dependence on fossil fuel markets (in particular, oil and gas).
Increasing renewable energy sources can also stimulate employment in the EU, by creating jobs in new ‘green’ technologies.
EU countries aimed for energy from renewable sources to occupy 20% of its gross final energy consumption by 2020. At the end of 2019 this target was realized 19.7%, compared to 9.6% in 2004.
This positive development was driven by the objectives that became legally binding to increase the share of energy from renewable sources adopted by EU Directive 2009/28 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources.
While the EU as a whole is well on its way to meeting its 2020 targets, some Member States will need to make additional efforts to meet their obligations in relation to the two main objectives: the overall of energy from renewable sources in total gross energy consumption./Monitor
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