Cyprus renewable energy share climbs again as EU falls short of 2030 goal

Cyprus continued to increase its share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption, according to Eurostat, highlighting steady progress on the island’s energy transition as the European Union overall struggles to meet its longer-term climate targets.

Across the EU, 25.2 per cent of gross final energy consumption came from renewable sources in 2024, marking an increase of 0.7 percentage points compared with 2023, according to the European statistical office.

Despite this improvement, Eurostat reported that the EU remains 17.3 percentage points short of its 2030 target of 42.5 per cent, a gap that would require an average annual increase of 2.9 percentage points between 2025 and 2030 to close.

Within this broader European context, Cyprus recorded a renewable energy share of 21.900 per cent in 2024, continuing a clear upward trend that has been sustained for nearly a decade.

In 2015, renewable sources accounted for 9.903 per cent of Cyprus’ gross final energy consumption, reflecting a relatively low starting point compared with many other EU member states.

This figure edged slightly lower in 2016 to 9.833 per cent, before rising to 10.478 per cent in 2017, signalling the beginning of a more consistent expansion.

A sharper increase was recorded in 2018, when Cyprus reached 13.973 per cent, followed by a marginal dip to 13.777 per cent in 2019, as progress temporarily slowed.

The pace of growth accelerated again in 2020, with renewables accounting for 16.879 per cent of gross final energy consumption, marking a significant step forward in the country’s energy mix.

Further gains were achieved in 2021, when the share climbed to 19.069 per cent, reflecting increased deployment of renewable technologies and policy support.

This upward momentum continued in 2022, with Cyprus reaching 19.427 per cent, before rising again to 20.259 per cent in 2023, moving the country firmly above the one-fifth threshold.

By 2024, the share increased to 21.900 per cent, underlining a long-term trajectory of gradual but sustained growth in renewable energy use.

At EU level, the distribution of renewable energy use varied widely between member states, with Sweden recording the highest share at 62.8 per cent, largely relying on solid biomass, hydro power and wind.

Finland followed with 52.1 per cent, drawing mainly on solid biomass, wind and hydro, while Denmark ranked third at 46.8 per cent, with renewables sourced primarily from solid biomass, wind and biogas.

At the other end of the scale, the lowest shares of renewables in gross final energy consumption were recorded in Belgium at 14.3 per cent, Luxembourg at 14.7 per cent, and Ireland at 16.1 per cent, highlighting persistent disparities across the bloc.

While Cyprus remains below the EU average of 25.2 per cent, its consistent improvement since 2015 places it on a clearer upward path compared with earlier years, even as the EU as a whole faces a demanding challenge to meet its 2030 renewable energy objectives.