Renewables hit record of 41.5 per cent in Germany in first half of 2018

• 6 years ago (2018-07-03)
• David Flin

Europe 1068 Renewables 757

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The share of renewable energy sources in Germany’s net electricity generation reached a new high in the first half of 2018. Wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources contributed 41.5 per cent to the country’s electricity mix, according to Energy Charts, a website run by the Fraunhofer research institute.

With a total net output of 113 TWh since January, the renewable share was nearly nine per cent higher than during the same period last year, and over a third higher than in 2014. Between January and June, wind turbines generated 55.2 TWh, making them the strongest renewable energy source in the German power mix, second only to lignite power plants, which generated 66.7 TWh.

However, the Government’s monitoring report on the Energiewende, Germany’s dual shift from nuclear and fossil power sources towards renewables, said the project is becoming increasingly neglected. Andreas Löschel, Group Head of the Fraunhofer research institute, said: “If you look at the developments throughout the last year, it becomes clear that today the energy transaction is not assigned the same political priority that it used to have some years ago.”