Ruqayyah Snyder
Austria's energy sector is diverse, with a mix of renewable and non-renewable sources. The country has made significant strides towards its goal of transitioning to low-carbon energy, with over three-quarters of its electricity generation coming from renewables in 2023. The main sources of electricity production in Austria are hydropower, wind power, solar energy, and imported oil and natural gas. In 2023, hydropower accounted for up to 67% of electricity generation, with wind and solar also contributing substantially to the country's renewable energy targets. Austria's unique landscape, with its mountainous terrain and abundant rivers, makes it ideal for hydropower development, and the country boasts one of the largest pumped hydropower storage capacities in the region. The country has set ambitious targets for renewable energy expansion, aiming for 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and 100% self-sufficiency in energy by 2050.
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What You'll Learn
Austria's energy consumption
Wind power is the second-largest renewable energy source in Austria, with a capacity of 3,573 MW in 2023, up from 1,011 MW in 2010. The country also has ambitious plans to expand its wind energy capacity further by 2030.
Solar energy is another important component of Austria's energy mix, with 1.4 GW of solar capacity added in 2022. To meet its renewable energy targets, the country will need to add an additional 10.5 GW of solar PV by 2030. Photovoltaic systems contributed almost 6% to domestic electricity production in 2022.
Austria also relies on imported oil and natural gas to support its energy needs. In 2022, imported oil accounted for 35.4% of energy consumption, while gas made up 16.8%. However, the country is working towards reducing its dependence on fossil fuels and has set ambitious renewable energy targets.
Austria has set a target of achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2030, with a goal of adding 27 TWh of renewable power by that year. The country also aims to be 100% self-sufficient in energy by 2050 and has committed to reaching climate neutrality by 2040. To achieve these goals, Austria is supporting building renovations, encouraging the switch to sustainable heating systems, electrifying transport, and investing in public transport infrastructure.
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Renewable energy sources
Austria's landscape, a combination of mountainous terrain, abundant rivers, and plentiful precipitation, makes the country a perfect location for hydropower development. In 2022, hydropower was the main source of electricity production in Austria, accounting for almost 60% of the country's total electricity generation. The country's hydropower generation stood above 36 terawatt-hours in 2022, ranking fifth in Europe. The Alpine country also boasts one of the largest pumped hydropower storage capacities in the region, at almost 5.6 gigawatts.
Wind power is the second-largest renewable energy source in Austria. In 2010, wind power capacity was 1,011 MW, and by 2023, it had reached 3,573 MW. Some states in Austria have plans to double the 2021 wind power capacity by 2030 by expanding existing wind parks and creating new ones. In 2016, wind power employed around 11% of the workforce of the renewable energy sector and generated 993 million euros (13.8% of a total of 7,219 million euros generated by the renewable energy sector) of revenue.
Solar energy is also a prominent source of renewable energy in Austria, with a share of 10.5% or 2.5 GW of a total of 23.8 GW of installed power plant capacity. In 2022, 1.4 GW of solar energy capacity was added, and an additional 10.5 GW of solar PV will be needed between 2022 and 2030 to meet the planned renewable target. Photovoltaic systems contributed almost 6% to domestic electricity production in 2022 with a 3,792 MW capacity.
Bioenergy in Austria contributes to the renewable heating sector, producing 58% of renewable heat. It is the third-largest source of electricity production and the only source of biofuels for the transport sector. The solid biomass sector employs roughly 50% of the workforce in the renewable energy sector.
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Energy imports
Austria's energy consumption per capita is 19% higher than the EU average. The country's electricity consumption per capita is 28% above the EU average. Austria's energy mix includes coal, oil, gas, nuclear energy, and renewables. The country is very reliant on hydropower, which accounted for 75.6% of its renewable energy in 2020. Austria's landscape, with its mountainous terrain, abundant rivers, and plentiful precipitation, makes it a perfect location for hydropower development. In 2023, hydropower was the main source of electricity production in Austria, accounting for almost 60% of the country's total electricity generation.
Austria's dependency on foreign energy supplies is increasing continuously. Since the closure of the Styrian brown coal mines in 2005, the country has been 100% dependent on coal imports. In 2023, Austria imported 7.5 Mt of crude oil, mainly from Kazakhstan (38%), Libya (24%), and Iraq (9%). In 2022, imported oil accounted for 35.4% of energy consumed in Austria, while gas accounted for 16.8%. Gas from Russia to Austria transits through Ukraine and Bulgaria. Austria's natural gas imports come from Russia and Norway.
Austria's electricity generation has grown by roughly 20% since the beginning of the century, surpassing 70 terawatt-hours in recent years. In 2022, Austria registered net electricity imports of approximately 8.7 terawatt-hours. Photovoltaic systems contributed almost 6% to domestic electricity production in 2022, with a capacity of 3,792 MW. In 2022, 1.4 GW of solar energy capacity was added, and an additional 10.5 GW of solar PV will be needed between 2022 and 2030 to meet renewable energy targets.
Austria has set ambitious targets for renewable energy and energy self-sufficiency. The country aims to achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and 100% energy self-sufficiency by 2050. To achieve these goals, Austria is investing in building renovation, sustainable heating systems, the electrification of transport, and public transport infrastructure.
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Energy exports
Austria's energy sector has a diverse range of sources, including hydropower, wind, solar, and bioenergy. In recent years, the country has made significant strides towards its goal of transitioning to renewable energy sources.
In 2016, Austria exported 19,207,000 MWh of electricity, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). This data from 2016 is the most recent complete data available. While Austria has a history of energy exports, its energy landscape is evolving with a focus on renewables.
Hydropower is Austria's primary energy source for electricity production, taking advantage of the country's mountainous terrain, abundant rivers, and high precipitation. In 2023, hydropower accounted for almost 60% of the country's total electricity generation, with Austria ranking fifth in Europe for hydropower generation. The country also has one of the largest pumped hydropower storage capacities in the region, at 5.6 gigawatts.
In addition to hydropower, wind power is the second-largest renewable energy source in Austria. The country has consistently increased its wind power capacity over the years, with 3,573 MW of wind power capacity by 2023. Some Austrian states have ambitious plans to double their wind power capacity by 2030.
Solar energy is also making significant contributions to Austria's energy mix. In 2022, the country added 1.4 GW of solar energy capacity, and it aims to add an additional 10.5 GW of solar PV by 2030 to meet its renewable energy targets.
Bioenergy, including combustible renewables and waste generation, is another important component of Austria's energy exports and contributes to the country's goal of achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2030.
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Energy targets
Austria's energy policy is based on three pillars: security of supply, energy efficiency, and renewables. The country has been working towards decarbonising its economy by increasing its use of renewable energy and decreasing its use of fossil fuels.
Austria has set several energy targets to achieve this. In 2013, Austrian Environment Minister Nikolaus Berlakovich announced a target of 34% renewable energy by 2020 and 100% self-sufficiency in energy by 2050. In 2020, Austria's new government committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2040—a full decade earlier than the goal set by the European Union. To achieve this, Austria aims to substantially enhance decarbonisation efforts across all energy sectors, building on and expanding existing policies and measures. This includes phasing out all oil- and coal-fired heating systems by 2035 and restricting the use of natural gas for heating in new buildings from 2025 onwards.
In 2021, Austria passed the Renewable-Expansion-Act (EAG), stipulating a goal of 100% renewable electricity by 2030. This means that 27 terawatt-hours (TWh) of renewable power need to be added by 2030. To successfully deliver this target, Austria needs to achieve a net increase of around 22-27 TWh of renewable electricity across all technologies. As of 2023, over 80% of Austria's electricity production was sourced from renewables, with hydropower accounting for almost 60% of the country's total electricity generation.
Austria also has a target to reduce its non-Emissions Trading System (ETS) emissions by 36% below the 2005 level by 2030. However, if the current pathway is not significantly adjusted, Austria may only achieve a reduction of 27%. To address this, Austria's 2018 climate and energy strategy, "#mission2030", outlined a plan to reach the 2030 targets and advance the long-term vision of a carbon-free energy sector by 2050. This strategy addresses all energy sectors, mobility, and urban sprawl.
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Frequently asked questions
Hydropower is the main source of electricity production in Austria, accounting for 54% to 67% of the country's total electricity generation in 2021 and 2023 respectively. In 2023, renewable energy made up 87% of Austria's total electricity generation.
Wind power is the second-largest source of renewable energy in Austria.
OMV AG, a multinational integrated oil, gas, and petrochemical company, is the largest energy business in Austria, with a turnover of €36 billion in 2021.
Austria imported 26,366,000 MWh of electricity in 2016 (41% of its annual consumption needs) and exported 19,207,000 MWh of electricity in the same year. In 2022, Austria registered net electricity imports of approximately 8.7 terawatt-hours.
Austria has a target of 34% renewable energy by 2020 and 100% self-sufficiency in energy by 2050. The country also plans to become 100% renewable electricity supplied by 2030, primarily through hydro, wind, and solar.
