FRANKFURT - Renewable energy accounted for 16 percent of the electricity derived in European Union (EU) countries, German power industry association VDEW said yesterday.

But leading EU electricity market Germany, despite having a booming wind energy industry, derives only 2.6 percent of its total power mix out of renewables sources other than hydro, which has a 4.8 percent share, it said in a statement.

Renewables were strongest in Austria, which relies on hydropower from Alpine water reservoirs for 72 percent of its power, VDEW said, quoting latest statistics obtained from the umbrella organisation of EU power industry lobbies, Eurelectric.

Use of wind, solar and biomass energy was most advanced in Finland, where 13 percent of all power was generated this way, and in Denmark, with 12 percent respectively.

The statistics also showed that nuclear energy contributed 34 percent of all power across the 15-nation bloc while coal, oil and gas-derived generation accounted for a combined total of 50.

France used 79 percent of nuclear energy and Belgium 57 percent for its national economy.