The European Union’s industrial sector continues a long-term trend of reduced energy consumption, with steady declines stretching back more than three decades. In 2024,

industry used 8,835 petajoules (PJ) of energy—an 8.1% drop compared with 2014—reinforcing a broader shift toward improved efficiency and structural change across the sector.

Electricity and natural gas remained the dominant energy sources, together accounting for nearly two-thirds of total industrial consumption. Electricity made up 2,945 PJ (33.3%), while natural gas followed closely at 2,817 PJ (31.9%). Renewable energy and biofuels ranked third at 999 PJ (11.3%), overtaking oil and petroleum products, which stood at 922 PJ (10.4%).

Other sources played smaller roles: solid fossil fuels accounted for 484 PJ (5.5%), heat for 483 PJ (5.5%), and non-renewable waste for 186 PJ (2.1%).

Over the past decade, most energy categories have seen declines. The sharpest reductions were recorded in solid fossil fuels, which fell by 34.8%, and heat, which declined by 23.7%. However, not all trends moved downward. Energy from non-renewable waste rose by 32.1%, while renewables and biofuels increased by 24.3%, signaling a gradual shift in the industrial energy mix toward lower-carbon sources.

Food industry bucks the downward trend

While overall industrial energy use declined, the food, beverages and tobacco sector moved in the opposite direction. Its energy consumption rose to 1,134 PJ in 2024, representing 12.8% of total industrial energy use and an increase of 4.7% compared with 2014.

This sector relies heavily on natural gas and electricity, which together account for more than 80% of its energy mix. Natural gas led with 525 PJ (46.3%), followed by electricity at 401 PJ (35.3%). Smaller shares came from renewables and biofuels (6.0%), oil products (5.3%), heat (4.2%), solid fossil fuels (2.8%), and a minimal contribution from non-renewable waste (0.1%).

Renewables and biofuels recorded the strongest growth within the sector, surging by 68.4% over the decade. Non-renewable waste also increased significantly, rising by 47.4%. Electricity and natural gas saw more modest increases of 8.1% and 5.0% respectively, while the use of solid fossil fuels fell sharply by 36.4%, continuing the broader industrial transition away from more carbon-intensive energy sources.