The share of renewable sources in gross final consumption of energy in the European Union (EU), reached 17.5 percent in 2017 up from 17 percent in 2016, Eurostat, the statistics watchdog of the union said on Tuesday.
The share more than doubled to reach its level in 2017 from the 8.5 percent in 2004, according to the body's latest report.
'Eleven member states already achieved their 2020 targets in 2017,' Eurostat stated. Eleven member states are Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Croatia, Italy, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania, Finland and Sweden.
The EU targets to obtain 20 percent of energy in gross final consumption from renewable sources by 2020 and at least 32 percent by 2030.
The data showed that the highest share of renewables are in Sweden and the lowest in Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Malta
'With more than half -- 54.5 percent -- of its energy coming from renewable sources in its gross final consumption of energy, Sweden had by far the highest share in 2017, ahead of Finland (41. percent), Latvia (39 percent), Denmark (35.8 percent) and Austria (32.6 percent),' the body said.
The lowest proportions of renewables, however, were registered in Luxembourg (6.4 percent ), the Netherlands (6.6 percent) and Malta (7.2 percent).
By Gulsen Cagatay
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr