The EU's industrial sector cut energy use over the past decade, even as its fuel mix continued shifting away from coal and toward electricity and renewables, according to a statement released Friday by the EU's official statistics agency, Eurostat.
In 2024, the EU industry consumed 8,835 petajoules of energy, down 8.1% from 2014. The long-term trend has been downward since 1990, reflecting efficiency gains and structural changes in industrial output.
Electricity remained the largest energy source at 2,945 PJ, or 33.3% of total industrial consumption, followed closely by natural gas at 2,817 PJ at 31.9%.
Renewables and biofuels ranked third at 999 PJ, or 11.3%, overtaking oil and petroleum products, which accounted for 922 PJ, or 10.4%. Other sources included solid fossil fuels at 484 PJ at 5.5%, heat at 483 PJ at 5.5%, and non-renewable waste at 186 PJ, or 2.1%.
Compared with 2014, consumption fell across most energy categories. The sharpest declines were recorded in solid fossil fuels, down 34.8%, and heat, down 23.7%. Two categories moved in the opposite direction: non-renewable waste rose 32.1%, and renewables and biofuels increased 24.3%.
The food, beverages and tobacco sector diverged from the broader industrial trend, increasing its energy use. It consumed 1,134 PJ in 2024, equal to 12.8% of total industrial energy use, up 4.7% from 2014.
That sector relied heavily on natural gas, which made up 525 PJ, or 46.3%, and electricity at 401 PJ, or 35.3%. Smaller shares came from renewables and biofuels at 68 PJ, oil products at 60 PJ, heat 47 PJ, solid fossil fuels 32 PJ, and non-renewable waste 1 PJ.
Within food manufacturing, the strongest growth came from renewables and biofuels, up 68.4%, and non-renewable waste, up 47.4%. Electricity use rose 8.1% and natural gas 5.0%. Solid fossil fuel consumption dropped 36.4% over the same period.