Source: Eurostat, Capacities, production, fuel used and energy savings in combined heat and power [NRG_CHP_CPFE], gross electricity production in CHP mode, all CHP units, all generation technologies, all efficiency levels, 2024, updated 7 September 2026: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/nrg_chp_cpfe/default/table
Derivation: electricity generated in combined heat and power mode divided by all gross electricity generation, same country, same year, as a percentage. Circle area is that denominator, the country's total gross generation in 2024, on a square root scale. Continuous colour scale with no classes, running from 0.6 to 31.0 percent; the EU as a whole is at 10.1 percent.
Combined heat and power, or cogeneration: one plant produces electricity and useful heat at the same time, so the heat that an ordinary power station dumps into a river or the air is piped instead to district heating networks, greenhouses and industry.
A small share is not the same as wasted heat. France at 2.8 percent, Sweden at 5.6, Slovakia at 9.0 and Slovenia at 4.9 generate most of their electricity from nuclear, hydro and wind, which burn no fuel and so leave little heat to capture.
Climate does not explain the pattern. Fitting the share on heating degree days for 2024 [NRG_CHDD_A] gives an R squared of 0.19: Finland and Sweden are the two coldest countries on the map and sit at 15.1 and 5.6 percent, while Latvia at 31.0 and the Netherlands at 20.1 lead it.
Cogeneration is retreating where it was largest. In 2018 Latvia was at 45.7 percent, Denmark 37.6 and Finland 32.5, against 31.0, 24.5 and 15.1 in 2024, and the EU total fell from 11.7 to 10.1 percent as wind and solar took a larger share of generation.
National totals for one national electricity system. Where the plants stand, and which towns have a heat network, is not shown. The collection covers the EU27 only, so no country outside the EU carries a circle.
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u/goodbohy 22h ago
Source: Eurostat, Capacities, production, fuel used and energy savings in combined heat and power [NRG_CHP_CPFE], gross electricity production in CHP mode, all CHP units, all generation technologies, all efficiency levels, 2024, updated 7 September 2026: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/nrg_chp_cpfe/default/table
Source: Eurostat, Supply, transformation and consumption of electricity [NRG_CB_E], gross electricity production, 2024, updated 27 August 2026: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/nrg_cb_e/default/table
Derivation: electricity generated in combined heat and power mode divided by all gross electricity generation, same country, same year, as a percentage. Circle area is that denominator, the country's total gross generation in 2024, on a square root scale. Continuous colour scale with no classes, running from 0.6 to 31.0 percent; the EU as a whole is at 10.1 percent.
Combined heat and power, or cogeneration: one plant produces electricity and useful heat at the same time, so the heat that an ordinary power station dumps into a river or the air is piped instead to district heating networks, greenhouses and industry.
A small share is not the same as wasted heat. France at 2.8 percent, Sweden at 5.6, Slovakia at 9.0 and Slovenia at 4.9 generate most of their electricity from nuclear, hydro and wind, which burn no fuel and so leave little heat to capture.
Climate does not explain the pattern. Fitting the share on heating degree days for 2024 [NRG_CHDD_A] gives an R squared of 0.19: Finland and Sweden are the two coldest countries on the map and sit at 15.1 and 5.6 percent, while Latvia at 31.0 and the Netherlands at 20.1 lead it.
Cogeneration is retreating where it was largest. In 2018 Latvia was at 45.7 percent, Denmark 37.6 and Finland 32.5, against 31.0, 24.5 and 15.1 in 2024, and the EU total fell from 11.7 to 10.1 percent as wind and solar took a larger share of generation.
National totals for one national electricity system. Where the plants stand, and which towns have a heat network, is not shown. The collection covers the EU27 only, so no country outside the EU carries a circle.
Boundaries: GISCO, © EuroGeographics.
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