Sweden has most renewable energy in the EU

Sweden has the greatest share of renewable energy in all EU-countries, i.e. 43,3 %. Industry and electricity production are the biggest contributors to the share of renewable energy, followed by district heating production and the housing sector. The transport sector represents only 1 % of that 43.3 % share. This is the conclusion of the annual follow-up made by the Swedish Energy Agency in its report Energy Indicators 2008.

Sweden's share of renewable energy increased from 33.9 % in 1990 to 43.3 % in 2006. Those figures should be compared with the target of 49 % renewable energy for Sweden in 2020 set by the EU-commission's directive proposal for renewable energy, which is now subject to negotiations.

The most important renewable energy sources are wood fuels including lye, followed by water power, heat from heat pumps, organic waste, bio-fuels and wind power. Industry, in particular the paper and pulp industry, is the most important consumer of renewable energy. Industry's share of total renewable energy consumption, including electricity and district heating, has increased from 50 % of total industrial energy consumption to 57 % in 2006.