Which EU industries use the most energy
Within EU industry in 2023, the chemical and petrochemical sector was the single largest energy user at 21.5% of industrial final energy, followed by non-metallic minerals (14.5%, mainly cement and glass), paper, pulp and printing (14.3%), food, beverages and tobacco (12.9%) and iron and steel (10.6%). These five sectors together used nearly three-quarters of all industrial energy.
Source: Eurostat — Final energy consumption in industry — detailed statistics (dataset nrg_bal_s) (2023)
What it means
Five heavy sectors — chemicals, minerals, paper, food and steel — account for nearly three-quarters of EU industrial energy use, so that is where efficiency effort pays off most. For an operator in one of these sectors the figure confirms that energy is a strategic cost line, and that heat-intensive processes are the obvious first place to look for savings.
Context
Eurostat's energy balances (dataset nrg_bal_s) attribute industrial final energy consumption to manufacturing sub-sectors. The 2023 shares are EU-wide and measured in petajoules before conversion to percentages. The energy-heaviest sectors are those dominated by high-temperature process heat — furnaces, kilns, reactors and dryers — which is harder to cut or electrify than electrical loads, making them central to both efficiency and decarbonisation policy.
How to interpret this data
About the source: This data comes from Eurostat. Public datasets like this are the foundation of fact-based decision-making in industry. When you see these numbers cited in vendor proposals or consultant reports, remember: the raw data is freely available, and the value is in how you interpret it for your specific plant and situation.
Where this matters: Is industrial insulation worth it?, How to reduce industrial energy costs are built on insights like the data shown here. Rather than treat data in isolation, read the deeper guides to see how these trends translate into actionable levers for your plant.
Sector relevance: This dataset is especially relevant to Chemicals, Cement. These sectors face the trends and challenges you see in this chart daily — energy cost pressure, the push for decarbonization, adoption of AI and predictive maintenance. Use this data to benchmark your plant against the industry average and identify where you lag or lead.
How to use this data: Take the headline number but look deeper at the chart. Is it growing or shrinking? Which segments or regions drive the trend? Does your plant's data align, or are you an outlier? Outliers are often where the best opportunities hide — either an efficiency gap you can exploit, or a leading practice you can copy.
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Related topics
Is Industrial Insulation Worth It? Payback and ROI · How to Reduce Industrial Energy Costs: Practical Quick Wins · Specific Energy Consumption (SEC) · Energy Audit
Relevant to: Chemicals · Cement · Paper & Packaging · Food Processing