Last year, five times more electricity from renewable sources was produced in the Czech Republic than in 2003. In 2017, 9 618 GWh of electricity from renewable sources were produced in the Czech Republic, more than five times higher than in 2003 and a year-on-year increase of 2.4%.
This results from the Environmental Report for 2017, which was discussed by the government last week. Biogas, biomass and photovoltaics are the largest sources. The largest share is represented biogas (27%), biomass and photovoltaics. Other sources of green energy, which have made a significant contribution to production, are water (19%) and wind power plants (6%). The lowest share of electricity from renewable energy sources is the biodegradable fraction of solid municipal waste (roughly 1%). In almost all types of renewable sources, last year electricity production increased. Exceptions are hydroelectric power plants due to the drought and the low water flow.
Czechs meet the goal of the State Environmental Policy, which follows from the 2009 European directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources. The share of these resources in final energy consumption should be 13% by 2020, the target was met in 2013. In 2016, this figure for the Czech Republic was 14.9%. The updated State Energy Policy aims to achieve a share of renewable energy sources in electricity production between 18% and 25% by 2040, according to the report, 11.1%. As in previous years, more electricity was exported last year imported. The balance for the whole year was 13 TWh, equivalent to 15% of the total electricity produced. Electricity exports last year were 28.1 TWh, imported at 15.1 TWh. The balance was 18.8% higher than in 2016. “In terms of availability of energy sources, the Czech Republic is a major exporter of electricity, with only Germany, France and Sweden having higher exports in 2016,” the report said.