January 5 (SeeNews) - The share of renewables in gross final energy consumption in Bulgaria inched down 0.35 percentage points (pp) on the year to 19.10% in 2022, the country's statistical office said on Friday.
The share of electricity generated from renewable sources decreased by 1.17 pp to 20.24% in 2022, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) said in a data release.
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The largest sectoral increase in the share of renewable sources in gross final energy consumption, of 1.65 pp to 31.67%, was registered in the heating and cooling sector. Renewable energy accounted for only 7.67% of gross final energy consumption in transport, up by just 0.06 pp.
Bulgaria had the lowest share of renewables in consumed energy in 2022 among the five EU members from Southeast Europe, and significantly below the leader Sweden, where 66% of gross final energy consumption was derived from renewables, data published by Eurostat in late December showed.
Out of the five SEE states in the EU, Croatia had the largest share of renewables in the final energy consumption mix, of 29.35%, although that share dropped from 31.28% registered in 2021.
On average, the share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption in the EU as a whole grew by 1.1 pp to 23% in 2022, Eurostat data showed. As many as 17 out of the 27 EU member countries reported shares below the EU average.
In 2023, the EU updated its Renewable Energy Directive, setting a legally binding green energy share target for 2030 at 42.5%, with an aspiration to further increase it to 45%, surpassing the initial goal of 32%.
In early 2023, Bulgaria faced punitive action from the EU for failing to pass legislation on renewable energy development and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Under the country's Integrated Energy and Climate Plan for 2021-2030, Bulgaria has set a minimum target of 27.09% share of renewables in gross energy consumption by the end of the decade.