Following a press release yesterday from Eurostat on renewable energies in the European Union, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy, Étienne Schneider, has reaffirmed that Luxembourg is on the right track to achieve its 2020 targets for renewable energy.

In 2016, Luxemburg's share of renewable energies in gross final energy consumption amounted to 5.44%, compared to 5.04% in 2015 and 4.51% in 2014. Luxembourg thus continuously increased its share renewable energy in recent years.

The EU has set a target of 20% renewable energy by 2020. The European target has been translated into binding national targets that differ from country to country, in particular depending on the initial situation of the country in terms of renewable energy production and its capacity to increase it. Thus, Malta has a target of 10% against Sweden which has a goal of 49%. Luxembourg must reach a target of 11% in 2020.

In July 2010 the Government's cabinet adopted the National Action Plan for Renewable Energy which provides for the achievement of the national objective as follows:

- Development of renewable energies across the Grand Duchy through the production of electricity and heat / cold from renewable sources;

- Blend of biofuels in fuels released for consumption at the national level and development of electric mobility (public and private);

- Use of cooperation mechanisms between EU Member States.

As for the development of renewable energies across the Grand Duchy, Luxembourg was in 2016 above the Plan's forecasts, supporting the multiple efforts of the government during the last years, in particular in the support of wind, solar and biomass energy initiatives, in that they have paid off.

As regards the use of cooperation mechanisms, in 2017 Luxembourg signed with Lithuania and Estonia the first renewable energy cooperation agreements in Europe, which will contribute to the realisation of objective of Luxembourg between 2018 and 2020.​