Renewables will cover energy needs of all Luxembourg households this year

But this is still not a reason to celebrate; read the article to find out why

The Luxembourgish energy ministry proudly boasted on Tuesday that the solar installations in the tiny country are now able to meet the energy needs of a third of its population – or some 210,000 people. These became possible after new installations increased the capacity to 317 MW in 2022.

What’s more, the record solar capacity added to the wind and hydropower mix facilities in the Grand Duchy means that all these renewable sources will be able to meet the entire energy demand of homes in the country this year. Though, statistics next year will have to confirm if that has been the case.

"Over the last 5 years, solar energy has really taken off in Luxembourg, thanks to more attractive tariffs and attractive subsidy programmes," Energy Minister Claude Turmes said, as quoted by Luxembourg Times.

This is all part of the government’s plan to wean off from its dependence on Russian fossil fuels in view of amendments mandated by the EU for countries to get more ambitious in the sustainable energy consumption efforts to bring the dual benefit of energy sovereignty and a cleaner environment.

Renewable energy still has a low share in the overall supply, though

Although the news sounds encouraging, the reality is that energy consumption by households itself represents a fairly small percentage of the total energy consumption of Luxembourg. In fact, the country currently ranks rock bottom in the EU when it comes to the share of renewable energy in overall energy consumption.

Households only consume 12% of the energy produced and imported, so the attention needs to turn to other sectors, which are the main obstacles to energy sustainability. The transport sector, for example, takes 60% of that power, making it the largest consumer nationally.

Luxembourg’s updated climate plan states that by 2030, the country has to increase its renewable energy consumption rate to a minimum of 35% of the total. However, the problem is that the country is small and renewable energy sources require large land or sea territories.

That’s why the Duchy’s parliament approved a treaty with Denmark, in February, that will see the country invest up to 66 million euros in green energy projects abroad.