EU: €1,800 Bn spent between 2021 and 2024 on importing fossil fuels (Ember report)

The European Union will spend €1,800 billion on fossil fuel imports between 2021 and 2024, according to Ember's report "Shock-proof: how electrification can boost the EU's energy security", published on 16/10/2025. This is €930 Bn more than before the crisis in 2022.

" The Union's dependence on fossil fuel imports could be halved by 2040, with electrification playing the main role. The growth of wind and solar power has already limited the need to import fossil fuels for electricity generation, saving €59 Bn between 2019 and 2024. However, 82% of fossil fuels are still burnt outside the electricity sector, mainly in transport, heating and industry. The electrification of these sectors offers the clearest route to energy independence," says the report.

To date, imported fossil fuels account for 58% of the EU's energy needs, compared with 24% for China and 37% for India. The EU's four main gas suppliers accounted for 83% of imports in 2024.

22% of the EU's energy is electrified, compared with 28% in China. 19% of the EU's electricity production uses imported fossil fuels, compared with…