Emerging Trends Insights from 2021

This report by Ember analyzes electricity trends in the European Union during 2021, focusing on the impact of the fossil gas crisis, the growth of solar power, and the effect of declining nuclear output on decarbonization.

• The 2021 gas crisis significantly undermined the role of fossil gas as a transition fuel in the EU power sector. High prices, driven by factors such as a cold winter, increased demand in Asia and South America, and lower imports from Russia, led to a 585% increase in the TTF day-ahead benchmark contract in December 2021 compared to December 2020. This surge made fossil gas the most expensive electricity generation method, exceeding both hard coal and lignite, with costs averaging €255/MWh in December 2021.
• For the first time in Europe, combined wind and solar power generation (547 TWh) exceeded gas generation (524 TWh). Solar power growth was particularly vital, producing over 25% more power in 2021 than in 2019 and accounting for 6% of Europe's electricity. Spain and the Netherlands drove half of Europe's solar growth since 2019, with Spain's generation increasing from 15 TWh to 26 TWh and the Netherlands adding 6 TWh.
• The structural decline of nuclear power in the EU has hindered decarbonization, as approximately one-third of wind and solar growth over the last decade replaced lost nuclear output rather than fossil fuels. Nuclear output declined by 105 TWh over ten years. This trend is expected to persist through 2022, with an estimate that over 75% of wind and solar growth in 2022 will replace declining nuclear output.

APA

Ember (2022). Emerging Trends Insights from 2021. https://ember-energy.org/chapter/emerging-trends-eer2022/

Chicago

Ember. Emerging Trends Insights from 2021. 2022. https://ember-energy.org/chapter/emerging-trends-eer2022/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Ember |title=Emerging Trends Insights from 2021 |date=1 February 2022 |url=https://ember-energy.org/chapter/emerging-trends-eer2022/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ember2022emerging, author = {{Ember}}, title = {{Emerging Trends Insights from 2021}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2022}, month = feb, url = {https://ember-energy.org/chapter/emerging-trends-eer2022/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }