The European Union imported some €14.6 billion worth of green energy products from non-EU countries in 2024, new data from Eurostat has revealed.
This includes imports of €11.1 billion worth of solar panels, €2.9 billion worth of liquid biofuels, and €0.5 billion worth of wind turbines.
The overall value of solar panel imports declined by 43% in value terms in 2024, due to lower market prices, however the total imported volume (weight) rose by 2%.
Liquid biofuels recorded a 25% drop in value, while imports of wind turbines doubled in both value and volume terms, rising 102% in value and 113% in volume.
The EU imported some 32,373 wind turbines in 2024, an increase of more than 9,000 compared to the previous year.
Green energy exports
In terms of exports, meanwhile, the European Union exported €0.7 billion worth of solar panels, €1.8 billion worth of liquid biofuels, and €2.8 billion worth of wind turbines last year.
Exports of wind turbines were up 41% in value and 28% in volume, with solar panel exports decreasing 22% in value but increasing 24% in volume.
Liquid biofuel exports declined in both value (-18%) and in volume (-7%) terms.
Imports from China
As Eurostat noted, China was ‘by far the largest supplier of solar panels, accounting for 98% of all imports’, however the total value of these imports fell from €19.0 billion in 2023 to €10.9 billion in 2024.
In terms of liquid biofuels, China was again the main source, accounting for 24% of imports last year, followed by Malaysia (15%), the United Kingdom (13%), and Brazil (12%). Other countries from which liquid biofuels were imported include Argentina, the United States and South Korea.
Wind turbines were mainly sourced from India (48%) and China (43%) – with China increasing its share (up from 31% the previous year), and India’s share decreasing (from 58% the previous year). Some 8% of wind turbines were sourced from other markets. Read more here.
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