Energy consumption in Austria decreased by 4% year-on-year in 2023, to 1,034 petajoules (PJ), new data from Statistics Austria has revealed.
According to the data, energy consumption in the industrial sector was down 7% to 291 PJ, while in services, energy consumption fell by 3% to 101 PJ.
In road traffic, energy consumption was down 1% to 300 PJ, however in aviation, it rose by 40% to 37 PJ, which was the second-highest figure in the history of the Austrian aviation sector.
Consumption by households fell by around 5% to 274 PJ, which was primarily due to more clement weather and a corresponding reduction in the use of heating energy sources.
“In 2023, warmer weather, the the lower level of production in industry and the increased switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources caused final energy consumption in Austria to fall below the pandemic related low level of the year 2020,” commented Statistics Austria director general Tobias Thomas.
Renewables and fossil fuels
Renewable energy sources accounted for an 18% share of Austria’s final energy consumption in 2023, surpassing natural gas for the first time since 1970.
Fossil fuel usage in transportation showed a minor rise (1% to 310 PJ), with a higher demand in aviation (+11 PJ) offsetting reduced road traffic (-9 PJ). Private household gas usage for heating fell by 9% to 49 PJ, while industrial gas usage for process heat dropped by 13% to 97 PJ.
Among renewables, biofuel consumption increased by 2% to 106 PJ, compensating for a slight decrease in firewood (-3% to 52 PJ) and wood pellets (-11% to 18 PJ).
Biofuel usage in transport, particularly due to higher biodiesel adoption in freight (+23% to 21 PJ) and increased bioethanol content in gasoline (up from 4% to 7%), also contributed to the renewable sector’s expansion.
At the same time, however, petroleum products remained the largest share of final energy consumption across sectors (36%), followed by electricity (21%), renewables (18%), and gas (16%), Statistics Austria said.
Net surplus
Austria achieved a milestone in 2023, producing a net surplus of electricity for the first time since 2000.
The country’s domestic raw energy production rose by 7% to 549 PJ, with renewable energy production climbing by 10% to 482 PJ, driven by significant gains in hydropower (+17% to 146 PJ), wind power (+11% to 29 PJ), and photovoltaics (+69% to 23 PJ). Read more here.
