PARIS: Renewable energy sources such as the wind and the sun overtook fossil fuels as the European Union's main generators of electricity in the first half of this year, according to a new report published on Wednesday.

"In the first half of 2020, renewables - wind, solar, hydro and bioenergy - generated 40 percent of the EU-27's electricity, whereas fossil fuels generated 34 percent," the London-based think-tank Ember found in its study.

The amount of electricity generated by renewables in the EU's 27 member states rose by 11 percent in the period from January to June, Ember calculated.

"This was driven by new wind and solar installations and favourable conditions during a mild and windy start to the year."

Wind and solar alone reached a record of 21 percent of Europe's total electricity generation, and reached even higher penetration in Denmark (64 percent), Ireland (49 percent) and Germany (42 percent), the study said.

Fossil fuels, on the other hand, fell by 18 percent, squeezed both by rising renewable generation and a seven-percent fall in electricity demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, the EU-27 power sector's emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) fell by about 23 percent, Ember said. "This marks a symbolic moment in the transition of Europe's electricity sector," said Ember's electricity analyst, Dave Jones.

"Renewables generated more electricity than fossil fuels, driven by wind and solar replacing coal."