ANALYSIS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT TRENDS IN THE EU

Abstract

Analysis of the current development of renewable energy in the EU is relevant due to the rise in energy prices, environmental problems, threats to energy security, and dependence on imports of fossil fuels. The study is conducted to determine the directions of cooperation between Ukraine and the EU in the field of energy and to obtain practical measures that Ukraine can apply to strengthen the economy and Ukrainian-European relations. Renewable energy is a type of energy whose source is energy produced by natural resources that are not only inexhaustible but also regenerate faster than they are consumed. Its types include water, wind, solar, bioenergy, and geothermal energy. Its types include water, wind, solar, bioenergy, and geothermal energy. The use of renewable energy sources presents a number of advantages, the main of which are their availability, inexhaustibility, reduced impact on the climate, absence of emissions into the atmosphere, and increased energy security. The article is devoted to the analysis of renewable energy in the European Union. The article analyzes the main indicators of renewable energy in the countries of the European Union and identifies the main main conclusions regarding the prospects for the development of green energy in the EU countries. The EU reached its headline target of 20% in 2020 with a share of 22.1% of energy consumed from renewable sources in 2020. Most Member States have also met their national target for 2020 except for France. Most Member States have also met their national target for 2020 except for France. In the EU in 2020, renewable energy sources accounted for 38% of the total electricity production, 36% of which was produced thanks to wind energy and 33% was hydropower. Thanks to the accelerated growth of wind and solar energy, energy from renewable sources exceeded energy from fossil sources for the first time, the share of which was 37%. Austria, Sweden and Germany became the leading countries in the field of renewable energy. Austria plays a leading role in renewable energy, as 78% of the electricity it consumed in 2020 was generated from renewable energy sources. Sweden has become the leader in the share of renewable energy production, which is more than half of the total production. Germany is a leader in the production of solar energy. Poland is in 22nd place in terms of the share of renewable energy in the overall structure, its share is 16.1%. The country is still dependent on imports of fossil fuels, namely coal, natural gas and oil, of which Russia is the main supplier. Its share in the import structure is 63.5%. Instead, Poland continues to increase the share of renewable energy by attracting foreign investments. The share of biofuel has increased significantly - 71.6%, and there is also a significant increase in the installation of solar installations.