The Andalusian Energy Agency, an entity attached to the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mines, has published its annual statistical report ‘Energy Data of Andalusia 2023’, which collects the main figures reflecting the reality and energy evolution of the autonomous community. It confirms the progress of the Andalusian economy towards decarbonization, thanks to a reduced dependence on fossil fuels.
This energy balance highlights that energy intensity, the main indicator measuring the energy efficiency of an economy, continues its downward trend, surpassing once again in 2023 the lowest value in the historical series, since records began in 2022 (94.9 tons of oil equivalent per million euros in 2023, compared to 101.9 in the previous year). Thus, to generate one unit of GDP in Andalusia, 6.9% less energy was required than the previous year.
This has been possible thanks to the reduction in consumption, both of primary energy (coal, oil, natural gas, sun or wind), and of final energy (the one that reaches the consumer transformed for use in the form of electricity, liquid or solid fuels), which experienced a decrease of 4.6% and 2.4%, respectively, compared to 2022.
The largest reduction in absolute terms of final energy consumption, including non-energy uses, is led by the industrial sector, with a decline of 10.9% compared to 2022, representing 25.2% of all final energy consumed in Andalusia. This decrease occurred in a year when the Gross Value Added (GVA) of the sector, including construction, increased by around 0.3%, highlighting that the Andalusian industrial fabric is growing more sustainably thanks to being more energy efficient. By sources, the industry reduces its consumption of coal (94.3%), biomass (51.4%), and petroleum products (14.4%), and increases that of electricity (2.4%) and natural gas (0.6%).
The primary sector, representing 7.1% of final consumption, also reduces its energy consumption by 7.5%. Diesel remains the most used energy source in the sector, at 85%, followed by electric power at 10.6%. For the third consecutive year, the residential sector, representing 13.8% of final consumption, again records lower energy consumption, 3.2% less than in 2022.
On the other hand, the services sector, which increases its energy demand by 9.3%, accounts for 10.7% of total final energy consumption. Among its sources, the growth in the consumption of electrical energy (5.9%), natural gas (17.3%), and liquefied petroleum gases -LPG- (80.8%) stands out.
To a lesser extent, the transport sector, which represents 43.2% of total final energy consumption in Andalusia, increases its consumption by 1.8%. In this sector, the increase in the use of renewable energies, by 33.2%, stands out, although petroleum derivatives continue to be the most used fuels, at 93.7%.
The final energy consumption increases in Málaga (4.3%), Almería (5.1%), Huelva (1%), and slightly in Córdoba (0.2%). In the rest of the provinces, it decreases, especially in Cádiz (9.9%), followed by Jaén (8.5%), Granada (6.3%), and Sevilla (2.4%). Likewise, Sevilla and Málaga remain the main provinces consuming final energy, followed by Cádiz. The three provinces account for 54.2% of the region’s consumption.
Greater penetration of renewables
Furthermore, in the statistical report carried out by the Agency, after collecting, contrasting, and analyzing over 3,000 data from more than 40 companies and organizations such as the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, the National Commission of Markets and Competition, and Red Eléctrica, among others, it is also noted that, regarding electricity generation from renewable sources, Andalusia produced 10% more than the previous year, reaching 19,274.6 gigawatt hours (GWh), largely thanks to solar technology.
In this sense, electricity production with photovoltaics grew by 45.2% (2,837.6 gigawatt hours) and solar thermal increased by 13.3% (273.1 gigawatt hours). Conversely, biomass, wind, and hydraulic power decreased, due, among other reasons, to the drought conditions that occurred during that year. This clean electricity generation has favored that for the production of one megawatt-hour in the Andalusian electricity mix, the region emits 53.5% less CO2 than in 2014.
The ‘Energy Data’ publication is one of the dissemination products included in the Statistical and Cartographic Plan of Andalusia 2023-2029, within the activity carried out by the Statistical and Cartographic Unit of the Andalusian Energy Agency. In 2024, 20 years have passed since the first edition of this report, born with a vocation of public service and with the intention of making the necessary statistical information available to society to acquire a complete view of the Andalusian energy reality. It can be consulted on the website of this entity, as well as at the provincial level, with a higher level of disaggregation, through the statistical tool ‘Info-Energy’.
