Renewable resource consumption up by 11.2 % in the past five years

Central Statistical Bureau data show that compared to 2020 gross consumption¹ of renewable energy resources² (renewables) in Latvia rose by 11.2 % or 8.3 petajoules (PJ) in 2024. As consumption of renewable energy reached 43.2 % in 2023, Latvia is drawing closer to achieving its target under the National Energy and Climate Plan³ – 62.0 % of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption by 2030.

All key energy and climate indicators can be found in the Climate Change Dashboard, which provides a clear overview of data on areas affecting the climate. The dashboard enables regular assessment and monitoring of the situation, supporting the implementation of planned activities and tracking whether they achieve the intended results.

In terms of the share of renewable energy in final energy consumption, Latvia ranks fourth in the EU, with 43.2 % recorded in 2023 (EU average 24.6 %). The share of renewable energy in transport was 1.36 % (EU average 10.8 %). In heating, it reached 61.4 %, which is the third highest figure in the EU after Sweden with 67.1 % and Estonia with 66.7 %. Renewable energy made up 26.2 % of the total energy used for heating and cooling in the EU. The share of electricity generated from renewables in the final energy consumption stood at 54.3 % in Latvia and at 45.3 % in the EU.

Electricity generation increased in wind power and solar power plants

In 2024, 6 322 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity were generated in Latvia (down by 1.0 % compared to 2023), of which 4 643 GWh were generated from renewable sources (down by 6.4 % or 320 GWh year-on-year).

Electricity generation in wind power and solar power plants increased by 59.2 % year-on-year. However, hydropower plants generated 3 210 GWh of electricity, representing a decline of 15.4 % or 584 GWh year-on-year. Boosted by active installation of solar panels, the amount of electricity generated by solar power plants increased significantly, reaching 536 GWh in 2024. This is more than two times, or 297 GWh, the amount generated in 2023. Wind power plants generated 276 GWh of electricity (up by 1.8 % or 5 GWh year-on-year).

Combined heat and power (CHP) plants generated 2 300 GWh of electricity, of which 27.0 % from renewable sources in biogas and biomass CGP plants (down by 4.6 percentage points year-on-year). Electricity generation in biogas CHP plants fell from 182 GWh in 2023 to 164 GWh in 2024 (by 9.9 %) and in biomass CHP plants and electric power plants from 477 GWh to 457 GWh (4.2 %).

Gross consumption of renewables in Latvia totalled 82.6 PJ in 2024, which is 0.1 % or 0.1 PJ fewer than in 2023. Compared to 2020, it has grown by 11.2 % or 8.3 PJ. Fuelwood made up 76.7 % of the gross consumption of renewables, electricity 17.5 %, biofuel 1.8 %, while biogas and other energy 2.0 % and 2.1 %, respectively.

Export of fuelwood gone up

Last year, Latvia exported 53.2 PJ of fuelwood (up by 27 % compared to 2023), with pelleted wood representing the largest proportion. Exports increased for pelleted wood, wood waste and wood chips but declined for firewood and wood briquettes.

Transformation sector⁴ is the largest consumer of fuelwood – in 2024 it took up 36.7 % of the gross fuelwood consumption (23.2 PJ). Consumption of fuelwood in households constituted 29.0 % of the gross fuelwood consumption. In industry and construction, the highest fuelwood consumption was recorded in manufacture of wood and of products of wood.

The growing number of electric vehicles contributed to higher electricity consumption in the transport sector, where it reached 440 terajoules (TJ) in 2024 (up by 440 TJ or 14.0 % compared to 2023). Electricity consumption in road transport grew by 28.4 % or 44 TJ year-on-year and in rail transport by 4.9 % or 11 TJ. In pipeline transport, electricity consumption keeps declining and fell to 4 TJ (down by 20.0 % or 1 TJ compared to 2023 and 3.8 times or by 11 TJ compared to 2020). Due to the reinstatement of the mandatory biofuel blending requirement in 2024, biofuel consumption in transport increased by 0.8 PJ or 1.6 times compared to 2023.

Explore more in the official statistics portal Energy section and renewable energy reference metadata section.

Methodological information

¹ Gross energy consumption includes consumption of energy resources in heat and electricity production (transformation sector) and final consumption which includes all sectors of national economy as well as households. Data on electricity generation cover boiler houses producing heat for sale, as well as all combined heat and power plants that started operation at least three months before the end of the reference period.

² Renewable energy sources (renewables) – wind, sun, geothermal, wave, tidal, and water energy, and also aerothermal energy (thermal energy accumulated in the air), geothermal energy (thermal energy located under the surface of the mainland) and hydrothermal energy (thermal energy located in surface waters), waste landfill site and sewage treatment plant gas and biogas, and biomass. Renewables used in the transformation sector are local resources such as fuelwood, biogas, and other biomass.

³ Updated Latvia's National Energy and Climate Plan 2021–2030.

⁴ The data on transformation sector cover energy resources consumed for production and sale of electricity and heat.

Media requests:
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E-mail: media@csp.gov.lv
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More information on the data:
Regīna Dzirne
Environment Statistics Data Processing Section
E-mail: Regina.Dzirne@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366634