Renewables cover 58 percent of electricity demand
More than half of all households in Germany covered their electricity demand in the first half of 2024 using renewable energies. Besides wind turbines, the expansion of hydrogen power plants is particularly important, according to an expert.
Renewable electricity generated from wind, sunlight, biomass, and water accounted for approximately 58 percent of Germany's electricity consumption in the first half of 2024, setting a new half-year record. According to calculations by the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and the Federal Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), the share of renewable energies was still at 52 percent in the first half of 2023. The total gross domestic electricity consumption amounted to 261 billion Kilowatt-hours and was 0.3 percent lower than the previous year's value. Renewable energies covered more than half of the monthly electricity consumption in each of the past six months, according to the BDEW. Since April, they accounted for 58 percent of monthly electricity production.
"In particular, photovoltaic systems generated a significant amount of electricity with a total of 37 billion Kilowatt-hours, which was considerably more than in the previous year - thanks to the record expansion in 2023," the Energy Industry Association stated. In June 2024, the systems produced more than 10 billion Kilowatt-hours of electricity for the first time within a month. Hydroelectric power also made a significant contribution with 12 billion Kilowatt-hours of electricity.
Hydrogen-fired power plants for energy security are necessary
Of the 58 percent, 24 percentage points came from land-based wind generation, 14 percentage points from photovoltaics, 9 percentage points from biomass, 5 percentage points from water power, 5 percentage points from offshore wind energy, and 1 percentage point from electricity generation from municipal waste.
The Chairwoman of the BDEW Management Board, Kerstin Andreae, described the figures as a "reward for the persistent expansion of wind and photovoltaics in recent years." It is now important to expand hydrogen-capable gas power plants. "Despite the encouraging figures: The electricity generation from wind and sun is not constant. We need secure capacity for system services and times when the sun does not shine and the wind does not blow," Andreae urged.
The record shows that a secure and greenhouse gas-neutral electricity supply based on nearly 100 percent renewable energies including hydrogen is achievable by 2035, explained ZSW Managing Director Frithjof Staiß. This provides a stable foundation for industry on its way to climate-neutral production.
Germany's commitment to renewable energies continues, with Germany's economy heavily relying on wind energy, contributing 24 percentage points to the 58% renewable electricity consumption in the first half of 2024. Furthermore, the expansion of hydrogen-fired power plants is crucial for ensuring energy security during periods when wind energy production is low, aligning with the BDEW's call for expanding hydrogen-capable gas power plants.
