Share of renewable energy sources in gross final energy consumption in Serbia increases to 25.8% in 2024

The share of renewable energy sources in gross final energy consumption in Serbia reached 25.8% in 2024, which is only slightly higher than the previous year when the share was 0.4% lower, according to the RES Serbia portal.

Eurostat data shows that Serbia is slightly above the European Union average, where the share of renewable energy sources last year was 25.2%.

Among the European Union member states, Sweden recorded the highest share of renewable energy sources in gross final energy consumption, as much as 62.8%. Sweden primarily relied on solid biomass, hydropower and wind. Finland followed with 52.1%, relying on solid biomass, wind and hydropower, while Denmark was third with 46.8%, with the majority of renewable energy coming from solid biomass, wind and biogas. The lowest shares of renewable sources were recorded in Belgium (14.3%), Luxembourg (14.7%) and Ireland (16.1%).

The biggest improvement is recorded in the heating and cooling sector, where renewable sources account for 37.2% of total consumption. In electricity production, the share of RES is 32%, while in transport the situation has been almost unchanged, at only 0.6% for four years.

Compared to the countries of the region, Serbia lags behind, according to Eurostat data. Albania leads with as much as 46.9%, while Montenegro is at 40.8%. The growth rate in Serbia is slower than in the EU, while the EU has almost tripled the share of RES in two decades (from 9.6% to 25.2%), Serbia has only doubled it (from 12.7% to 25.8%).

The revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), adopted in 2023, raised the binding target from the previous 32% to 42.5% of RES in gross final energy consumption, with ambitions to reach 45%.

According to the National Energy and Climate Plan, Serbia has set targets by 2030: 33.6% share of RES in total energy consumption, 45% in electricity production, 41% in the heating and cooling sector, and 3.2% in transport.