Overcoming dependency: the energy challenge for Europe

Energy consumption in the European Union

UE  energy production and consumption: the situation today 

Before exploring targets and goals, it is important to understand the production facilities and infrastructures we already have in Europe. “We don’t have the option to start from scratch, because we already have an established industry. (...) We must pay close attention to the of today’s industry to become more competitive, at the same time as investing in the industry of the future”, highlighted Andreas Rüdinger from IDDRI (the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations think tank) at the Building Beyond 2026 conference hosted by VINCI¹.  

The latest figures from the International Energy Agency (IEA)² teach us that fossil fuels still account for the majority of the continent’s total energy generation: in 2025, the majority of energy consumed came from fossil fuels, 97% of which was imported³.

There is effectively no oil or natural gas production in the European Union. The largest producer of oil is the USA, followed by Saudi Arabia, Russia, Canada, China and Iran⁴. Natural gas comes chiefly from Russia, Iran, Qatar, the USA and Turkmenistan. The severe geopolitical tensions that have existed between the EU and Russia since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022 have led to the EU imposing sanctions on Russia by reducing its imports of Russian oil and gas.

As a result, these imports fell from 25.8% in 2021 to just 2.2% in 2025. However, these sanctions are proving difficult to sustain due to the continent’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels and new geopolitical tensions that have more recently arisen elsewhere in the world, particularly over Iran. As a result, EU imports of Russian liquefied natural gas are expected to rise sharply in 2026⁵. As long as the European Union maintains its dependency on fossil fuels, its energy independence will inevitably be compromised.

Electricity accounts for around 22% of total final energy consumption across the EU. Although electricity generation from other sources – particularly wind and solar  – exceeded that from fossil fuels in 2025⁶, the only way in which the EU can truly transform its energy infrastructures and supply is with sustained long-term investment. Given that mobility remains particularly dependent on oil, it is clearly essential that Europe continues to generate and store energy within its own borders, in parallel with continuing to work towards electrification on the demand side.

Energy consumption varies from country to country 

The energy mix varies considerably from one European country to another⁷. In terms of oil product usage, Cyprus uses 55.6%, for example, compared with Finland’s 22.3%. At 40.9%, electricity consumption in Malta contrasts starkly with the 15% in Latvia.

A closer look at electricity generation

If we focus in on electricity generation, we continue to see a similar level of national diversity. At the extremes, 85% of Malta’s electricity is generated from oil products, compared with just 0.5% in Sweden. More than 67% of electricity in France is generated by nuclear power plants, although this source is absent from the energy mix of many European countries, including Germany, which took the decision to phase out nuclear in 2011 and ceased generation entirely in 2022⁹. Renewables account for almost all electricity generation in Luxembourg (91.2%, with wind power leading the way at 31% of total generation), whereas the figure for the Czech Republic is 16.9%¹⁰.

A diversity of energy policies 

The role of the European Union in member state energy policies

European Member States have been free to set their own energy policy since the Union was created in the 1950s, but energy has always been a leading area of cooperation between Member States. The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) contains specific provisions designed to: ‘Ensure the functioning of the energy market, ensure security of energy supply in the Union, promote energy efficiency and energy saving and the development of new and renewable forms of energy, and promote the interconnection of energy networks’¹¹.

The European Green Deal launched by the EU in 2019 aims to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Among the measures implemented to achieve these targets, the REPowerEU plan is specifically designed to reduce EU dependence on fossil fuels and diversify its energy supplies. Another measure - the EU Emissions Trading System - requires polluters to pay for their greenhouse gas emissions. This system has generated revenue in excess of €200 billion, which has been used to finance the Union’s green and social funds¹².

The importance of the national acceptability of measures and types of energy

Every European country has its own unique characteristics and history. So some countries, including France, have opted to back nuclear power, while others, such as Germany, have opted to move away from it. Attitudes and public opinion regarding different types of energy vary greatly from one country to another, as Sarah Jilibret-Schabram, Deputy Director of the Franco-German Office for Energy Transition, highlighted at the Leonard Building Beyond 2026 conference¹³: she told delegates that it is easy to install huge wind turbines in Germany, whereas acceptance is much more of a challenge in France. On the other hand, the German public took longer to accept the idea of replacing boilers with heat pumps; a development that came more naturally to the French.

Multiple drivers for energy sovereignty 

To succeed in the transition to energy sovereignty, Europe must generate more of its own – preferably low-carbon – energy, uprate its power grids and electrify applications in mobility, heating and industrial processes. Let’s take a closer look at some of these drivers.

Uprating power grids: an enormous challenge 

Generalised electrification focused essentially on expanding intermittent renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, will not be possible without uprating national and pan-European power grids¹⁵. The plan developed by the French national grid operator Réseau de Transport de l'Électricité (RTE)¹⁶ for completion by 2040 covers renewal of the entire network, its adaptation to cope with the effects of climate change (high temperatures, flooding, etc.), the connection of new consumers and the installation of new low-carbon generation facilities, as well as upgrading the national extra-high-voltage grid for the first time in more than three decades.  

Transforming uses, with particular emphasis on mobility 

The energy sovereignty of the entire continent is contingent on reducing its dependence on oil. The Paris Climate Agreement set out a schedule for phasing out sales of new conventionally powered vehicles across the EU. Sales of electric cars are now beginning to gather pace, albeit with the help of Member State incentives. At the same time, the number of charging terminals continues to grow. There are currently 2.5 million across the EU, including 168,000 public charging facilities in France alone¹⁷!

Even better news is the fact that HGVs can now go electric too. Despite costing between two and three times as much as their conventionally powered counterparts¹⁸ and accounting for only a very small share of the market, the cost of the energy they consume is sufficiently low that transport companies can remain competitive, provided they can optimize charging times. Better still, they will soon be able to recharge without stopping on some motorways. In a world first, an articulated truck was recently able to charge its batteries using dynamic induction charging on the A10 in France (part of the VINCI Autoroutes/VINCI Concessions network). 

Motorway concessionaire operator VINCI Autoroutes has worked at pace to equip all 180 service areas it manages across the French motorway network with charging facilities, and is continuing to roll out the scheme for a further 40 also additional rest areas¹⁹.

Although solutions already exist for restoring greater energy sovereignty in Europe, a great deal of work still needs to be done to press ahead with their implementation. This will involve comprehensively restructuring and upgrading the continent’s existing and ageing infrastructure, from fuel stations and power networks to the core facilities of many industries and homes. Massive investment is required for a project on this scale. The countries of the EU must continue the process of introducing regulations to limit greenhouse gas emissions, at the same time as supporting industries and individuals voluntarily switching to greener, more self-sufficient energy solutions.

Sources :

¹ Andréas Rüdinger, IDDRI: Isabelle Spiegel, Environment Director at VINCI Group – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G7z_KBDrb8

² AEI: « How is energy used in Europe ? » – https://www.iea.org/regions/europe/energy-mix#how-is-energy-used-in-europe

 ³ European Council: "Where does the EU's oil come from?" – https://www.consilium.europa.eu/fr/infographics/where-does-the-eu-get-its-oil-from/

⁴ BBC Afrique: The world’s 10 largest oil-producing countries, https://www.bbc.com/afrique/articles/cgk0z1zd3emo

⁵ Les Échos: ‘Despite the sanctions, the EU has never imported so much Russian gas as since the start of the war in Ukraine’ – https://www.lesechos.fr/industrie-services/energie-environnement/malgre-les-sanctions-lue-na-jamais-importe-autant-de-gaz-russe-depuis-le-debut-de-la-guerre-en-ukraine-2231354

⁶ Connaissance des énergies: ‘The EU’s electricity mix: the ‘tipping point’ of 2025’ – https://www.connaissancedesenergies.org/mix-electrique-de-lue-un-point-de-basculement-en-2025

 ⁷ VINCI: ‘Forging a sustainable world’ (Universal Registration Document 2025), p. 10 – https://www.vinci.com/publi/vinci/vinci-document-enregistrement-universel-2025.pdf

  ⁸ Eurostat: “Energy in Europe”, 2026 edition –https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/interactive-publications/energy-2026#energy-consumption

 ⁹ Les Echos: ‘Germany shuts down its last nuclear reactors’ – https://www.lesechos.fr/industrie-services/energie-environnement/lallemagne-ferme-ses-derniers-reacteurs-nucleaires-1375755

¹⁰ Eurostat: “Energy in Europe”, 2026 edition – https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/interactive-publications/energy-2026#energy-consumption

¹¹ Toute l’Europe.eu: ‘Energy in the European Union’ – https://www.touteleurope.eu/environnement/l-enegie-dans-l-union-europeenne/

¹² European Commission: ‘The European Green Deal’ – https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_fr

 ¹³ Sarah Jilibret-Schabram: ‘The Geopolitics of Energy: Europe Under Strain’ round table discussion Building Beyond 2026, VINCI – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G7z_KBDrb8

 ¹⁴ Isabelle Spiegel: ‘The Geopolitics of Energy: Europe Under Strain’ round table discussion Building Beyond 2026, VINCI – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G7z_KBDrb8

 ¹⁵ eMag VINCI: ‘Renewable energy transmission: overcoming the grid challenge for a successful transition’ – https://www.vinci.com/en/emag/renewable-energy-transmission-overcoming-grid-challenge-successful-transition

 ¹⁶ RTE: ‘RTE outlines the key priorities of its strategy for transforming the electricity transmission network by 2040’ – https://www.rte-france.com/actualites/plan-strategique-developpement-reseau-transport-electricite-horizon-2040

¹⁷ Government: ‘Charging terminals are being rolled out across the country’ – https://www.economie.gouv.fr/actualites/les-bornes-de-recharge-se-deploient-sur-le-territoire

¹⁸ Directorate-General Enterprises and Industry: ‘Electrification of heavy goods vehicles: recommendations for addressing risk prevention issues in the electrification of logistics warehouses’  – https://www.entreprises.gouv.fr/la-dge/actualites/electrification-des-poids-lourds-recommandations-pour-prendre-en-compte-les

 ¹⁹ eMag VINCI: ‘Electric mobility hitting the road’ – https://www.vinci.com/en/emag/electric-mobility-hitting-road

²⁰ Wikipédia: ‘Plug-in electric vehicles in Europe’ – https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A9hicule_%C3%A9lectrique_en_Europe

  ²¹ Isabelle Spiegel: ‘The Geopolitics of Energy: Europe Under Strain’ round table discussion Building Beyond 2026, VINCI  – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G7z_KBDrb8