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2024
Germany has launched the largest solar farm in Europe. Billions of euros spent on it
On April 9, 2024, the German investment company Hansainvest Real Assets announced the launch of Europe's largest solar farm. The site called Witznitz Solar Farm is located 30 km from Leipzig, and its peak capacity reaches 605 MW. Read more here.
Lower wholesale electricity prices
Wholesale electricity prices in Germany continue to fall in February 2024.
Industrialists: German government's energy policy "absolutely toxic"
The head of the main industrial association of Germany, Siegfried Russwurm, in February 2024 called the energy policy of the German government "absolutely toxic," which indicates a decrease in business confidence in the management of the economy by Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
According to him, the country's decision to gradually abandon atomic energy and coal and switch to renewable energy sources puts the enterprises of the largest economy in Europe at a disadvantage compared to enterprises in other industrialized countries.
2023
Renewables cover 60% of Germany's annual energy needs
In 2023 renewable energy sources , they provided a record share in the total production of clean electricity in - Germany approximately 60%. This is stated in a study by the Fraunhofer Institute of Solar Systems power engineering specialists , the results of which were published in early January 2024.
At the end of 2023, new highs were recorded for wind and solar energy. In particular, onshore and offshore wind power turned out to be a key source of electricity for the population - 139.8 TVt·ch, or 32% of the total. Wind power generation showed an increase in damage of 14.1% compared to 2022.
Germany reached a record photovoltaic power installed during the year - about 14 GW in 2023. At the same time, the federal government set a goal at 9 GW. During 2023, solar farms in Germany generated 59.9 TVt·ch of electricity. Of this volume, 53.3 TVt·ch entered the public network, and 6.4 TVt·ch were consumed by households. In June 2023 alone, photovoltaic systems in Germany produced about 9 TVt·ch of electricity - a new monthly record.
Hydropower also rose, but output was little changed. The contribution of such sources to public electricity production amounted to 20.5 TVt·ch, which is 3 TVt·ch more than in 2022. Power production from biomass remained virtually unchanged, remaining at 42.3 TVt·ch in 2023.
In total, renewables produced about 260 TVt·ch, up 7% from 2022. The installed capacity of batteries has increased significantly - from 4.4 GW in 2022 to 7.6 GW in 2023. The capacity of the drives rose from 6.5 GVt·ch to 11.2 GVt·ch. The capacity of German pumped storage stations reached 6 GW.[1]
Due to the refusal of gas supplies from Russia, Germany for the first time became a net importer of electricity
Due to the refusal to supply Russia Germany gas from in 2023, it became a net importer of electricity for the first time.
Reduction of subsidies to industrial enterprises to compensate for high electricity prices
In November 2023, the German government agreed on measures to reduce electricity charges for producers over the next five years in an attempt to stimulate an economy hit hard by the withdrawal of energy supplies from Russia. In the period from 2024 to 2027, the support package will amount to 28 billion euros. For more details see German Industry
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The validity of the fund of Germany in the amount of 200 billion euros (219 billion dollars. US), designed to mitigate the effects of rising energy prices, expires at the end of 2023, Finance Minister Christian Lindner said in an interview with Deutschlandfunk.
"From December 31 of this year, the economic and stabilization fund will be closed," he said in an interview. "There will be no more payments from it. The containment of electricity and gas prices will also be discontinued. "
Record energy consumption slump to 33-year low
As of November, Germany is expected to spend the fewest energy in more than 30 years in 2023 as the country's struggling manufacturing industry weighed on fuel demand.
Total energy consumption will be even lower than in 2022, when the crisis in Europe hit Germany especially hard, and will decrease by 8% per year. This is 28% below the 1990 level when accounting was started.
The resumption of three coal-fired power plants due to the saving of expensive gas after the conflict with Russia
In October 2023, it was announced that Germany was returning mothballed coal stations to service to help keep the lights on.
Three stations of the companies RWE and LEAG, which are in conservation, will be included in the work. The move should help save gas and prevent supply shortages in the upcoming heating season, it said. The reason for this madness is the unleashed conflict with Russia.
Closing of the last three NPPs and start of electricity import
In 2023, Germany herds net importer of electricity after abandoning nuclear power.
On April 10, 2023, it became known that the German authorities would permanently close the last three nuclear power plants (nuclear power plants) located in the country. However, according to a survey, most Germans are in favor of these facilities continuing to function.
According to Der Spiegel magazine, the decision to stop the NPP is final. On April 15, 2023, the Izar-2, Neccarvesheim-2 and Emsland stations will be stopped. Initially, it was planned to turn them off by January 1, 2023, but in connection with the energy crisis and the current macroeconomic situation, it was decided to extend the service life. At the same time, repeated prolongation is not planned.
A survey conducted by the YouGov Public Opinion Research Institute commissioned by the German Press Agency suggests that 32% of Germans are in favor of using nuclear power plants for a limited time. A third of respondents (33%) believe that these facilities should be operated indefinitely. And only about a quarter of the respondents (approximately 26%) believe that the work of the nuclear power plant should be stopped.
The decision of the authorities means that the era of nuclear power in Germany, which lasted more than 60 years, has come to an end. Various studies suggest that renewable energy sources such as solar farms and wind generators are many times cheaper compared to nuclear plants. However, in the case of "green" sources, a constant amount of energy generation cannot be guaranteed due to natural factors. It is also noted that it may take up to 10-15 years to dismantle equipment at closed stations. After that, the remaining structures are likely to be demolished.[2]
2022
Rise in electricity prices due to pressure on Russia
Rising CO2 emissions from the power sector after the rejection of gas from Russia
The share of green power growing rapidly
Share of solar and wind power - 28.8%
2021
Rise in prices for electric energy by 200%
Europe never paid as much for electricity as in 2021. The average cost of electricity in, Germany, and by France Spain Britain the end of 2021 reached a record level, rising by more than 200%.
Closure of 3 of 6 operating NPPs
On December 31, 2021, Germany closed half of the six still operating nuclear plants, a year before the country put an end to the use of atomic energy for decades.
At the end of December 2021, the German government said that the decommissioning of all nuclear power plants in 2022 and the phasing out of coal by 2030 would not affect the country's energy security and its goal of making Europe's largest economy "climate neutral" by 2045.
2020
Cooperation with the Netherlands and Britain in uranium enrichment
Average energy consumption per capita
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See also
Notes
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