The EU is off target in its energy efficiency plans with Eurostat showing the EU's energy consumption in 2017 continued to increase for the third consecutive year, according to Eurostat on Thursday.
According to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, primary energy consumption amounted to 1,561 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe), while final energy consumption reached 1,222 Mtoe, marking increases of around 1 percent.
The EU has committed itself to binding energy efficiency target of reducing energy consumption by 20 percent by 2020.
'The primary energy consumption should amount to no more than 1,483 Mtoe and final energy consumption to no more than 1,086 Mtoe in 2020,' Eurostat highlighted.
The revised Energy Efficiency Directive provides for a new energy efficiency target for 2030: a primary energy consumption of no more than 1,273 Mtoe and a final energy consumption of no more than 956 Mtoe, or equivalent to a reduction of 32.5 percent.
In 2017, primary energy consumption in the EU was 5.3 percent above the efficiency target for 2020.
By Gulsen Cagatay
Anadolu Agency
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