In 2023, the European Union experienced significant movements in the international trade of products related to green energy, highlighting a significant increase in imports from non-EU countries. Impressive figures were observed in the imports of solar panels, reaching 19.7 billion euros, followed by liquid biofuels with 3.9 billion euros and wind turbines with 300 million euros. These data show an effort to improve energy sustainability, although fluctuations compared to 2022 are noticeable.
In the field of solar panels, although the value of imports decreased by 12% compared to the previous year due to falling prices, the quantity imported increased by 5%. This suggests an improvement in the accessibility of these products. Regarding liquid biofuels, there was a 22% reduction in the value of imports and a slight 2% decrease in quantity, reflecting some stability despite the economic downturn. Wind turbines, however, experienced a drastic drop in imports, with a 66% decrease in value and a 68% decrease in quantity.
Parallel to this, exports of these products by the EU also reflected interesting trends. Wind turbine exports reached 2.0 billion euros, significantly surpassing the value of imports in this sector. This segment experienced a 49% increase in value and a 26% increase in quantity, highlighting the EU as a key player in the international wind turbine market. In the solar panel sector, exports grew by 19% in value and 37% in quantity, while exports of liquid biofuels showed a higher increase in quantity compared to value, with 63% and 36%, respectively.
Among the key suppliers, China stood out as the dominant player, contributing to 98% of solar panel imports. In wind turbines, India stood out as the largest importer with 59%, followed by China with 29%. For liquid biofuels, China once again led with 36%, followed by the United Kingdom with 13% and Brazil with 12%.
These movements in the foreign trade of green energy products underline both the growing dependence of the EU on key markets such as China, as well as its competitiveness in exports, especially in wind turbines. The fluctuations in import and export figures reflect the dynamic and volatile nature of a sector that is rapidly moving towards a more sustainable future, driven by the search for clean and efficient energy alternatives.
Referrer: MiMub in Spanish
