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Visualizing the EU’s Energy Dependency

Energy Shift

Visualizing the EU’s Energy Dependency

Published

3 years ago

on

March 22, 2022

By

Marcus Lu

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Visualizing the EU’s Energy Dependency

In response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. and EU have imposed heavy sanctions aimed at crippling the Russian economy. However, these bold actions also come with some potentially messy complications: Russia is not only one of the world’s largest exporters of energy products, but it is also Europe’s biggest supplier of these fuels.

As of October 2021, Russia supplied 25% of all oil imported by the EU, which is three times more than the second-largest trade partner. Naturally, the policies and circumstances that have led to this dependency have been under major scrutiny in recent weeks.

To help you learn more, this infographic visualizes energy data from Eurostat.

Energy Dependency, by Country

To start, let’s compare the energy dependence of each EU member, both in 2000 and 2020 (the latest year available). This metric shows the extent to which a country relies upon imports to meet its energy needs.

Note that Denmark’s value of -35.9% for the year 2000 is not a typo. Rather, it means that the country was a net exporter of energy.

Country	2000	2020
🇦🇹 Austria	65.5%	58.3%
🇧🇪 Belgium	78.2%	78.0%
🇧🇬 Bulgaria	46.4%	37.9%
🇭🇷 Croatia	48.5%	53.6%
🇨🇾 Cyprus	98.6%	93.1%
🇨🇿 Czechia	22.7%	38.9%
🇩🇰 Denmark	-35.9%	44.9%
🇪🇪 Estonia	34.0%	10.6%
🇫🇮 Finland	55.5%	42.0%
🇫🇷 France	51.2%	44.5%
🇩🇪 Germany	59.4%	63.7%
🇬🇷 Greece	69.1%	81.4%
🇭🇺 Hungary	55.0%	56.6%
🇮🇪 Ireland	85.4%	71.3%
🇮🇹 Italy	86.5%	73.5%
🇱🇻 Latvia	61.0%	45.5%
🇱🇹 Lithuania	57.8%	74.9%
🇱🇺 Luxembourg	99.6%	92.5%
🇲🇹 Malta	100.2%	97.6%
🇳🇱 Netherlands	38.3%	68.1%
🇵🇱 Poland	10.7%	42.8%
🇵🇹 Portugal	85.3%	65.3%
🇷🇴 Romania	21.9%	28.2%
🇸🇰 Slovakia	65.1%	56.3%
🇸🇮 Slovenia	51.9%	45.8%
🇪🇸 Spain	76.8%	67.9%
🇸🇪 Sweden	39.3%	33.5%
Average	56.3%	57.5%

Over this 20-year timeframe, the EU-27 average country’s energy dependence has increased from 56.3% to 57.5%, meaning EU members became slightly more reliant on energy imports over those two decades.

Where Do EU’s Energy Imports Come From?

Looking further into energy imports reveals that Russia is the main supplier of crude oil, coal, and natural gas. Continue below for more details.

Crude Oil Imports

The EU imports more crude oil from Russia than the next three countries combined.

Country	Percentage of total
🇷🇺 Russia	26.9%
🇮🇶 Iraq	9.0%
🇳🇬 Nigeria	7.9%
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	7.7%
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan	7.3%
🇳🇴 Norway	7.0%
🇱🇾 Libya	6.2%
🇺🇸 United States	5.3%
🇬🇧 United Kingdom	4.9%
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan	4.5%
🇩🇿 Algeria	2.4%
Others	10.9%

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as Russia was the world’s third largest producer of oil in 2020. The country has several state-owned oil companies including Rosneft and Gazprom.

Coal Imports

Coal-fired power plants are still being used across the EU, though most member states expect to completely phase them out by 2030.

Country	Percentage of total
🇷🇺 Russia	46.7%
🇺🇸 United States	17.7%
🇦🇺 Australia	13.7%
🇨🇴 Colombia	8.2%
🇿🇦 South Africa	2.8%
Others	10.9%

Russia has the second largest coal reserves in the world. In 2020, it mined 328 million metric tons, making it the sixth largest producer globally.

Natural Gas Imports

Natural gas is commonly used to heat buildings and water. A majority of the EU’s supply comes from Russia via the Nord Stream series of pipelines.

Country	Percentage of total
🇷🇺 Russia	41.1%
🇳🇴 Norway	16.2%
🇩🇿 Algeria	7.6%
🇶🇦 Qatar	5.2%
Others	29.9%

Nord Stream 1 is the longest sub-sea pipeline in the world and was completed in 2011. It starts from the Russian city of Vyborg and connects to the EU through Germany.

Nord Stream 2 is a recently constructed expansion which was expected to double the project’s capacity. Germany has since halted the approval process for this pipeline in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

What Happens Now?

In retaliation against Western sanctions, Russia has announced an impending ban on exports of certain goods and raw materials.

European gas prices skyrocketed in response, as many fear that Russia could cut off natural gas supplies. This, of course, would have very negative effects on both consumers and businesses.

In early March 2022, both the European Commission and the International Energy Agency (IEA) introduced proposals on how Europe could reduce its energy dependency.

We must become independent from Russian oil, coal and gas. We simply cannot rely on a supplier who explicitly threatens us.
– Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission

Cutting off one’s biggest supplier is likely to cause issues, especially when dealing with something as critical as energy. Few countries have the capacity (or willingness) to immediately replace Russian imports.

The proposals also discussed options for boosting Europe’s domestic output, though the commission’s report notably excluded nuclear power. For various reasons, nuclear remains a polarizing topic in Europe, with countries taking either a pro or anti stance.

Related Topics:coal energy EU european union featured geopolitics imports natural gas oil pipeline Russia trade ukraine

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Energy Shift

Visualizing the Decline of Copper Usage in EVs

Copper content in EVs has steadily decreased over the past decade, even as overall copper demand rises due to the increasing adoption of EVs.

Published

1 week ago

on

September 29, 2024

By

Bruno Venditti

The total copper per vehicle is projected to decrease by 38 kg between 2015 and 2030.

Visualizing the Decline of Copper Usage in EVs

Copper intensity in passenger battery electric vehicles (BEVs) has steadily decreased over the last decade, driven by numerous technological advancements alongside increasing usage of alternative materials such as aluminum.

In this graphic, we visualize the evolution of copper demand in various subcomponents of passenger battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from 2015 to 2030F, along with total global copper demand driven by EVs for the same period. This data comes exclusively from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

Copper Intensity Per Car

According to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, the copper intensity per vehicle is expected to decline by almost 38 kg, from 99 kg in 2015 to 62 kg by 2030.

Year	Wiring	Motor	Copper Foil	Busbar	Auxiliary Motor	Charging Cable	Total
2015	30	8	41.26	13.23	2.87	3.96	99.32
2016	29	8	38.68	13.37	2.85	3.92	95.82
2017	28	7	32.67	12.72	2.84	3.90	87.13
2018	27	7	26.39	11.87	2.82	3.88	78.96
2019	26	7	28.00	10.85	2.78	3.82	78.45
2020	25	7	24.71	10.24	2.73	3.76	73.44
2021	24	6	25.27	9.29	2.69	3.70	70.95
2022	23	7	28.44	8.56	2.65	3.64	73.29
2023	22	7	29.87	8.12	2.61	3.58	73.18
2024F	21	7	27.73	7.67	2.56	3.52	69.48
2025F	20	7	27.79	7.19	2.52	2.51	67.01
2026F	20	7	27.78	6.63	2.48	3.41	67.30
2027F	19	8	27.55	6.15	2.44	3.35	66.49
2028F	18	8	26.77	5.70	2.40	3.30	64.17
2029F	18	8	26.17	5.51	2.39	3.28	63.35
2030F	17	8	25.63	5.44	2.37	3.26	61.70

One of the most significant factors driving this decline is thrifting, where engineers and manufacturers continuously improve the efficiency and performance of various components, leading to reduced copper usage. A key example of this is in battery production, where the thickness of copper foil used in battery anodes has significantly decreased.

In 2015, Benchmark estimated copper foil usage was just over 41 kg per vehicle (at an average thickness of 10 microns), but by 2030, it is projected to fall to 26 kg as manufacturers continue to adopt thinner foils.

Similarly, automotive wiring systems have become more localized, with advances in high-voltage wiring and modular integration allowing for reduced copper content in wiring harnesses.

Copper used in wiring has dropped from 30 kg per vehicle in 2015 to a projected 17 kg by 2030.

Newer, more compact power electronics and improved thermal management in motors and charging cables have also contributed to the reduction in copper usage.

Substitution has also played a role, with alternatives such as aluminum increasingly being used in components like busbars, wiring harnesses, and charging cable applications.

Aluminum’s lighter weight and lower cost have made it a practical alternative to copper in specific applications, though the additional space required to achieve the same level of conductivity can limit its use in certain cases.

Benchmark estimates that copper used in automotive wire harnesses has declined by 30% between 2015 and 2024.

The Road Ahead

Despite reductions in per-vehicle copper usage, the outlook for copper demand from the EV sector remains strong due to the sector’s growth.

Year	EV Sector Copper Demand (tonnes)
2015	56K
2016	82K
2017	111K
2018	166K
2019	179K
2020	237K
2021	447K
2022	696K
2023	902K
2024F	1.0M
2025F	1.2M
2026F	1.5M
2027F	1.7M
2028F	2.0M
2029F	2.2M
2030F	2.5M

Benchmark’s analysis indicates that by 2030, copper demand driven by EVs alone will exceed 2.5 million tonnes, securing copper’s critical role in the transition to a low-carbon future.

Energy Shift

Visualizing the Rise in Global Coal Consumption

China remains the largest coal consumer, making up 56% of the global total.

Published

3 weeks ago

on

September 16, 2024

By

Bruno Venditti

In this graphic, we show global coal consumption by region from 1965 to 2020.

Visualizing the Rise in Global Coal Consumption

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Despite efforts to decarbonize the economy, global coal consumption surpassed 164 exajoules for the first time in 2023. The fossil fuel still accounts for 26% of the world’s total energy consumption.

In this graphic, we show global coal consumption by region from 1965 to 2023, based on data from the Energy Institute.

China Leads in Coal Consumption

China is by far the largest consumer of coal, accounting for 56% of the global total, with 91.94 exajoules in 2023.

It is followed by India, with 21.98 exajoules, and the U.S., with 8.20 exajoules. In 2023, India exceeded the combined consumption of Europe and North America for the first time.

Regionally, North America and Europe have seen a decline in coal consumption since the 1990s, while the Asia-Pacific region experienced a surge in demand during the same period.

Year	Asia Pacific (Exajoules)	North America	Europe	Rest of the World	Total World
2013	114.14	19.48	15.86	11.47	160.95
2014	115.74	19.39	14.88	11.68	161.62
2015	115.00	16.89	14.24	11.11	157.25
2016	113.21	15.55	13.74	11.35	153.85
2017	115.67	15.30	13.29	11.23	155.50
2018	119.05	14.50	12.98	11.34	157.87
2019	121.94	12.49	11.06	11.45	156.95
2020	121.91	9.97	9.57	10.82	152.27
2021	127.75	11.24	10.44	11.12	160.56
2022	129.80	10.54	10.02	11.18	161.53
2023	135.70	8.83	8.39	11.11	164.03