In 2023, final energy consumption in the industrial sector in the EU was 8 990 petajoules (PJ), down 5.3 % compared with 2022 (9 489 PJ). The industrial sector has experienced a long-term decline in energy use, falling by almost a third since 1990.

Electricity and natural gas accounted for almost two-thirds of final energy consumption in the EU’s industrial sector (32.6 % and 31.3 %, respectively). Oil and petroleum products made up 11.4 %, followed by renewables and biofuels (11.2 %). Solid fossil fuels had a 6.0 % share in the mix, derived heat 5.3 %, while non-renewable waste accounted for 2.1 %. In one of the sub-sectors, the paper, pulp, and printing industry, renewables and biofuels were by far the most important fuel group (302.5 PJ or 70.3 %) for energy use.

For the first time, renewables and biofuels (246.8 PJ or 33.9 %) held the highest share of energy consumption in the manufacturing of paper and other paper products (excluding pulp), ahead of electricity (236.9 PJ or 32.6 %) and natural gas (147.3 PJ or 20.3 %).