It’s a first. This year, in Germany, renewable energies represented more than half of electricity consumption, according to industry figures published on Monday. A step forward as the government plans to reach 80% by 2030.
In fact, clean energy sources have “covered 52% of electricity consumption in 2023” in the country, or five points more than last year, indicated in a press release the BDEW, the organization which represents the industry’s industrialists. This is “the first time that this rate has exceeded the 50% mark,” she added. Consumption of renewable electricity was particularly high in July, with a rate of 59%, according to BDEW.
A “record” year for onshore wind power
These figures were notably achieved thanks to an increase in the production of renewable energies, which increased by 6% year-on-year. In detail, onshore wind power had a “record” year with an increase of 13.4%, offsetting the significant drop in offshore wind power production, which decreased by 8.6%. Photovoltaic saw its production increase by 4.6%, even reaching a “historic” level in June, with 113.5 billion kilowatt hours.
The share of coal, which had climbed last year, against a backdrop of the cessation of Russian gas deliveries to Germany due to the war in Ukraine, fell again in 2023, to 26%, against 31.6 % in 2022. “The figures show that we are on the right track,” welcomed Kerstin Andrea, president of the BDEW, quoted in a press release. Germany also abandoned nuclear power this year, with the closure of its last three power stations.
Target 80%
The German government has set itself the objective of 80% renewable electricity in consumption by 2030, unlocking billions of euros of investment for the green transition of its economy for these purposes. However, a court decision in November canceling a 60 billion euro fund could slow down this development.
To comply, the coalition led by social democrat Olaf Scholz had to cut certain expenses, notably aid for the development of photovoltaics.