Released January 09, 2019 | GALWAY, IRELAND
en
Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Renewable energy overtook coal to become the biggest power source in Germany for the first time in 2018.
Led by wind and solar power, renewables accounted for 40.3% of Germany's net electricity production last year compared to roughly 38% for coal. Renewables grew by more than 4% in 2018 compared to 2017, boosted by a hot, dry summer. The Fraunhofer Institute highlighted that output of solar, wind, biomass and hydroelectric generation produced 219 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity out of Germany's total of 542 TWh. In 2010, renewables accounted for 19% of the total.
"We will not fall below 40% in 2019 because more renewable installations are being built and weather patterns will not change that dramatically," stated Bruno Burger, author of the Fraunhofer study.
Wind power produced 111 TWh--or 20.4% of Germany's total power--from a combined onshore and offshore capacity of slightly less than 60 gigawatts (GW). Solar power rose by 16% last year to 45.7 TWh due to a long, hot summer. Installed solar capacity grew by 3.2 GW to 45.5 GW last year. Biomass contributed 8.3% to the total, followed by hydropower with 3.2%.
On the fossil-fuel front, gas-fired plants supplied 7.4% of the total and nuclear energy 13.3%, but nuclear's share will disappear in the coming decade as Germany shutters its last nuclear power plants. A few months after the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan in early 2011, the German government took the surprise decision to abandon nuclear power, ordering the immediate closure of eight older nuclear reactors and approving measures that would finally shut down all of the country's 17 reactors by 2022. For additional information, see May 30, 2011, article - Germany Votes to Dump Nuclear Power.
Despite its great strides in renewable energy, Germany is in danger of failing to implement its ambitious energy targets for 2030, where it wants to have renewables supply 65% percent of power. Burger claimed the change is not happening rapidly enough and pointed to the continued high use of coal.
"The proportion of renewables increased again in 2018, but things are not moving fast enough," Burger told Der Spiegel magazine. "If Germany continues at this speed, we will miss our goals for 2030." He expects solar power growth to slow and warned that Germany needs to reduce its reliance on coal-fired power drastically in the coming decade. "The lignite-fired power plants in the Rhineland district are near the border, and they can move electricity directly to the Netherlands via power lines. We have to get out of brown coal by 2030, otherwise we will not be able to achieve the climate goals."
Germany is expected to announce a coal-power exit strategy next month that is expected to recommend the shutdown of coal-fired power plants in the west of the country first. The government is expected to support the phasing out of coal between 2022 and 2030, but there is strong opposition from leading power and industrial companies.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.
Led by wind and solar power, renewables accounted for 40.3% of Germany's net electricity production last year compared to roughly 38% for coal. Renewables grew by more than 4% in 2018 compared to 2017, boosted by a hot, dry summer. The Fraunhofer Institute highlighted that output of solar, wind, biomass and hydroelectric generation produced 219 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity out of Germany's total of 542 TWh. In 2010, renewables accounted for 19% of the total.
"We will not fall below 40% in 2019 because more renewable installations are being built and weather patterns will not change that dramatically," stated Bruno Burger, author of the Fraunhofer study.
Wind power produced 111 TWh--or 20.4% of Germany's total power--from a combined onshore and offshore capacity of slightly less than 60 gigawatts (GW). Solar power rose by 16% last year to 45.7 TWh due to a long, hot summer. Installed solar capacity grew by 3.2 GW to 45.5 GW last year. Biomass contributed 8.3% to the total, followed by hydropower with 3.2%.
On the fossil-fuel front, gas-fired plants supplied 7.4% of the total and nuclear energy 13.3%, but nuclear's share will disappear in the coming decade as Germany shutters its last nuclear power plants. A few months after the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan in early 2011, the German government took the surprise decision to abandon nuclear power, ordering the immediate closure of eight older nuclear reactors and approving measures that would finally shut down all of the country's 17 reactors by 2022. For additional information, see May 30, 2011, article - Germany Votes to Dump Nuclear Power.
Despite its great strides in renewable energy, Germany is in danger of failing to implement its ambitious energy targets for 2030, where it wants to have renewables supply 65% percent of power. Burger claimed the change is not happening rapidly enough and pointed to the continued high use of coal.
"The proportion of renewables increased again in 2018, but things are not moving fast enough," Burger told Der Spiegel magazine. "If Germany continues at this speed, we will miss our goals for 2030." He expects solar power growth to slow and warned that Germany needs to reduce its reliance on coal-fired power drastically in the coming decade. "The lignite-fired power plants in the Rhineland district are near the border, and they can move electricity directly to the Netherlands via power lines. We have to get out of brown coal by 2030, otherwise we will not be able to achieve the climate goals."
Germany is expected to announce a coal-power exit strategy next month that is expected to recommend the shutdown of coal-fired power plants in the west of the country first. The government is expected to support the phasing out of coal between 2022 and 2030, but there is strong opposition from leading power and industrial companies.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.
