In 2017, energy consumption in the European Union (EU) continued to increase for the third consecutive year, thus moving away from the energy efficiency targets. Primary energy consumption amounted to 1 561 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe), while final energy consumption reached 1 222 Mtoe. Compared with last year, both levels increased by around 1%.
In Cyprus primary energy consumption amounted to 2.5 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe). It was 2.4 in 2016 and 2.6 in 2006 (an average annual change of -0.2% per annum between 2006 – 2017, and +4.4% between 2016 and 2017.
Final energy consumption in Cyprus amounted to 1.9 Mtoe in 2017, from 1.8 Mtoe in 2016 and 1.9 Mtoe in 2006 (or an annual change of -0.1% between 2006 and 2017 and +5.3 increase between 2016 and 2017).
In 2017, primary energy consumption fell compared to the previous year in eight Member States: Estonia (-4.2%, 5.6 Mtoe in 2017), the United Kingdom (-1.6%, 177.0 Mtoe), Ireland (-1.4%, 14.4 Mtoe), Sweden (-1.6%, 46.1 Mtoe), Finland(-1.2%, 31.7 Mtoe), the Netherlands (-0.5%, 64.5 Mtoe), France (-0.3%, 239.5 Mtoe) and Belgium (-0.3%, 49.1 Mtoe). The highest increase was recorded in Malta (+12.9%, 0.8 Mtoe in 2017), followed by Romania (+5.8%, 32.4 Mtoe), Spain (+5.4%, 125.6 Mtoe) and Slovakia (+5.1%, 16.1 Mtoe).
Among the 25 Member States where primary energy consumption decreased between 2006 and 2017, Greece (-2.4% p.a.) and Lithuania (-2.2% p.a.) recorded average annual decreases during the period of more than 2%. Consumption increased in Estonia (+1.2% p.a.), Poland (+0.7% p.a.) and Austria (+0.1% p.a.).
In 2017, final energy consumption fell compared to 2016 in only four Member States: Belgium (-1.2%, 36.0 Mtoe in 2017), the United Kingdom (-0.8%, 133.3 Mtoe), Italy (-0.6%, 115.2 Mtoe) and Slovenia (-0.3%, 4.9 Mtoe). The highest increases were recorded in Slovakia (+7.0%, 11.1 Mtoe in 2017), Malta (+6.7%, 0.6 Mtoe) and Poland (+6.5%, 71.0 Mtoe).
Among the 23 Member States where final energy consumption decreased between 2006 and 2017, only Greece (-2.3% p.a.) recorded an average annual decrease of more than 2%. Consumption grew in Malta (+2.7% p.a.), Poland (+1.4% p.a.), Lithuania (+0.7% p.a.), Austria (+0.3% p.a.), and Hungary (+0.1% p.a.).
(Cyprus News Agency)
