EU green exports grow on all fronts but trade-off remains negative

The European Union imports more green energy infrastructure than it exports.

Last year, member countries sourced €19.7 billion worth of solar panels from outside the block, 5% up from 2022. EU solar panel exports, on the contrary, totalled only €0.9 billion.

The biofuel trade-off is also negative. The EU imported €3.9 billion in liquid biofuels, while €2.2 billion were sold to third countries.

However, EU exports of wind turbines, valued at €2 billion, significantly exceeded imports, which amounted to €0.3 billion.

Solar, wind, biofuel: Which goes up and which goes down?

Wind turbine imports into the EU fell sharply by 66% last year.

Liquid biofuel imports also decreased, though only by 2%.

In contrast, solar panel exports increased by 5% from 2022 to 2023.

When it comes to solar panels, China still has a quasi-monopoly of exports to the EU, accounting for 98% of it.

Beijing also sends the most biofuels to the EU (36%). Other prominent biofuel partners are the UK (13%), Brazil (12%) and Malaysia (11%).

In terms of wind turbines, India has the lion’s share of EU exports, accounting for 59%.

EU green energy exports growing in value and quantity

While the green energy infrastructure trade-off remains negative for the EU, exports have been experiencing substantial growth in both quantity and value and on several fronts.

The highest economic growth in exports was recorded for wind turbines: +49% in terms of value and +26% in quantity.

Similarly, sales of liquid biofuels grew by 36% in value, and 63% in quantity.

Exports of solar panels rose too: 19% and 37% in quantity, says Eurostat.

Video editor • Mert Can Yilmaz