In Luxembourg, more than three-quarters of electricity consumption relies on net imports, highlighting a dependency on external sources. Within its domestic generation, low-carbon sources make up slightly more than 20% of the electricity mix. Among these, biofuels, wind, and solar each account for roughly around 5-7%, showing some diversity in clean energy but indicating room for growth. Despite this progress, fossil energy still constitutes a small, yet concerning, portion at just above 2%. This underscores the need for a further transition to more sustainable and low-carbon options to combat the negative impacts of climate change and air pollution associated with fossil fuels.
Is Electricity Growing in Luxembourg?
Luxembourg's electricity consumption has seen a significant decline since 2010, as demonstrated by the drop from 17048 kWh/person to the latest 2024 figures of 10094 kWh/person. This represents a decrease of over 6,900 kWh/person, indicating a worrying trend in energy usage. Low-carbon electricity generation, too, has not escaped this downward trajectory, with a slip from the 2010 level of 3153 kWh/person to 2087 kWh/person in 2024, a decrease of roughly 1,060 kWh/person. The absence of growth in electricity, especially in the low-carbon sector, is concerning for the future as the electrification of various industries and the proliferation of artificial intelligence lead to increasing energy demands.
Suggestions
To increase its low-carbon electricity generation, Luxembourg could look to successful regions as models. Nuclear energy can provide a steady base-load of clean energy, as evidenced by countries like France and Slovakia, where nuclear power generates more than half of electricity. Incorporating nuclear into Luxembourg's energy mix could address both reliability and sustainability. Additionally, countries like Denmark and Iowa have demonstrated that wind energy can achieve a significant share—more than half of their production—illustrating the potential of wind energy to diversify Luxembourg's low-carbon sources. Solar energy, while currently underutilized, presents a substantial opportunity for expansion as seen in regions such as Lebanon and Nevada, where solar contributes significantly to the electricity mix.
History
In the history of Luxembourg's low-carbon electricity, the 1990s saw modest fluctuations in hydropower generation, with some growth initially, but a decline towards the end of the decade. The early 2000s were marked by variable changes, with noticeable increases in hydropower in certain years, but significant declines such as in 2000 and 2011 pointed to challenges in sustaining this energy source. More recently, the country has made small strides in diversifying its low-carbon portfolio with wind, biofuels, and solar developments starting to contribute from around 2017 onwards. While these steps are commendable, the emphasis should now be placed on more robust expansions, particularly in solar and potential nuclear endeavors, to secure a clean electricity future for Luxembourg.
Electrification
We estimate the degree of electrification by comparing electricity and total energy emissions. More about methodology.