Brussels, 18/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - Nuclear power and renewables accounted for half of the EU's energy production between 2006 and 2012. The energy dependence rate stood at 53% in 2012.
According to figures published by Eurostat on 17 February, gross inland energy consumption in the EU28 rose from 1.67 billion tonnes of oil equivalent (toe) in 1990 to 1.83 billion toe in 2006, then dropped to stand at 1.68 billion toe in 2012 - in other words, an 8% decrease in six years. At the same time, domestic production of primary energy stood at 794 million toe in 2012, fed largely by nuclear energy (29%) and renewable energy (22%), then solid fuels (21%), gas (17%) and crude oil (10%). The energy dependence rate rose to 53% in 2012.
More precisely, gross inland energy consumption fell in 24 EU member states, including the five largest energy consumers - Germany (319 million toe in 2012, -9.2% compared with 2006), France (258 million toe, -5.3%), the UK (202 million toe, -12.2%), Italy (163 million toe, -12%) and Spain (127 million toe, -11.9%). Together, these five countries accounted for 64% of total EU28 energy consumption in 2012 and 77% of the reduction in absolute terms. By contrast, consumption increased in Estonia (+11.6%), the Netherlands (+2.9%), Poland (+0.8%) and Sweden (+0.4%). The largest relative falls were recorded in Lithuania (-17%), Portugal (-15.2%), Greece (-14.4%) and Hungary (-14.2%).
Denmark was the only net exporter of energy and was therefore the only country to display a negative energy dependence rate in 2012 (-3%). The member states least dependent on energy imports were Estonia (17%), Romania (23%), the Czech Republic (25%), Sweden (29%), the Netherlands and Poland (both 31%). At the opposite end of the scale, the highest energy dependence rates were registered in Malta (100%), Luxembourg and Cyprus (both 98%), Ireland (84.8%), Italy (81%) and Lithuania (80%). Among the five countries with the biggest energy consumption, Italy registered the highest energy dependence rate, followed by Spain (73%), Germany (61%), France (48%) and the UK (42%).
The five main energy producers were France (133 million toe, 17% of the total EU28 energy production), Germany (124 million toe, 16%), the UK (116 million toe, 15%), Poland (71 million toe, 9%) and the Netherlands (65 million toe, 8%). (EH/transl.fl)