Renewables accounted for 25.1% of Slovenia‘s energy use in 2023, the country’s statistics office has said, a new milestone for the country.
Close to half (48%) of the country’s energy needs are provided by imports, with petroleum products (34%) leading the way, followed by nuclear energy (23%) and energy from renewable sources, together with hydropower (21%).
The most electricity was produced by nuclear and hydropower, which accounted for 35% each, while 23% of electricity was generated by thermal power plants, and just under 7% by solar and wind power plants combined.
Solar and wind energy have seen a notable increase in recent years – in 2014, they accounted for just over 1% of electricity generated.
Emissions decline
At the same time, CO₂ emissions from electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply have seen a decrease. In 2022, these sectors were responsible for 27% of total CO₂ emissions—down from 41% in 2013.
However, emissions from transport have risen, growing from 4.3 million tonnes (30% of total emissions) in 2013 to 5.4 million tonnes (43%) in 2022.
That said, Slovenia’s overall CO₂ emissions have been on a downward trend since 2017, coming in at around 12.7 million tonnes in 2022. This was 3% less than the previous year and 10% below 2013 levels.
Environmental taxes
In 2023, Slovenia collected almost €1.8 billion from environmental taxes, with 81% of this coming from energy-related taxes. Transport taxes contributed 12%, while taxes on pollution and the use of natural resources contributed 3%.
The country invested some €474 million in environmental protection in 2023, which is 17% more than in 2014. Read more here.
