As much as 80% of Europe‘s electricity could be fossil fuel-free by 2030.

That’s according to a new report by the European utility federation Eurelectric, which suggests carbon dioxide emissions from the energy sector are dropping faster than anticipated.

The Power Barometer 2020 report shows renewable energy will continue to dominate the generation mix – the share of renewables in the generation mix gained almost 10% points in one year while the coal phaseout accelerated.

Findings of the research also indicate two-thirds of Europe’s electricity generated in the first half of this year was carbon-free, with renewables covering 40% of the mix and fossil fuels generation dropping by 18%.

Eurelectric says by 2030, 12 more European countries will be coal-free, joining nine that have already stopped producing electricity from coal-fired power plants.

Kristian Ruby, Secretary General of Eurelectric said: “This year, the power sector has proven its crucial value for society by providing hospitals, government offices and millions of home-working Europeans with clean and reliable power throughout the pandemic.

“On top, the sector is on a fast and firm path towards decarbonisation.”