Energy in Germany

CO2 emissions in 2020: 603.35 million tons == Energy plan ==

The plan for 2030 aims for 80% of electricity from renewables. == Energy consumption ==

In 2019, Germany was the sixth largest consumer of energy in the world. The country also had the largest national market of electricity in Europe. Germany is the fifth-largest consumer of oil in the world, with oil accounting for 34.3% of all energy use in 2018, with another 23.7% coming from natural gas. == Energy imports ==

In 2021, Germany imported 63.7% of its energy. Due to its rich coal deposits, Germany has a long tradition of using coal. It was the fourth-largest consumer of coal in the world as of 2016. Domestic hard coal mining has been completely phased out in 2018, as it could not compete with cheaper sources elsewhere and had survived only through subsidies. As of 2022, only lignite is still mined in Germany. After ending domestic production in 2018, Germany imported all 31.8 million tonnes of the hard coal it consumed in 2020. The biggest suppliers were Russia (45.4%), the United States (18.3%) and Australia (12.3%). This was attributed to greater energy saving and a decrease in gas exports. The top sources for the import natural gas were Norway (43%), the Netherlands (26%), and Belgium (22%). == Electricity production by source ==

Fossil fuels Coal power Coal is the second-largest source of electricity in Germany. , around 24% of the electricity in the country is generated from coal. Germany is also a major producer of coal. Lignite is extracted in the extreme western and eastern parts of the country, mainly in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Sachsen and Brandenburg. Considerable amounts are burned in coal plants near the mining areas to produce electricity and transporting lignite over far distances is not economically feasible; therefore, the plants are located near the extraction sites. 24 coal plants are planned to be closed by 2022 with all but 8 closed by 2030. The final date is expected to be assessed every three years. although the EU gave approval in late 2023 for a €2.6 billion compensation payment to RWE to phase out lignite in the Rhine region. Natural gas National energy policy has shifted towards utilizing natural gas to replace coal and serve as a complementary fuel source as green energy projects are developed. The seaports of Lubmin, Brunsbuettel, Stade, and Wilhelmshaven utilize floating liquefied natural gas floating storage and regasification units to import gas. Renewable energy Renewable energy includes wind, solar, biomass and geothermal energy sources. The share of electricity produced from renewable energy in Germany has increased from 6.3 per cent of the national total in 2000 to 46.2 per cent in 2022. Germany renewable power market grew from 0.8 million residential customers in 2006 to 4.9 million in 2012, or 12.5% of all private households in the country. and wind turbines at the Schneebergerhof wind farm in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz In end of 2011, the cumulative installed total of renewable power was 65.7GW. Solar power In 2022 Germany had 66.5 GW of solar power capacity, which generated 62 terawatt hours of power from 2.65 million individual installations. Wind power s in North Rhine-Westphalia In March 2023 there were around 28,500 wind turbines in operation in Germany with a combined capacity of 58.5 GW. == Energy efficiency ==

The energy efficiency bottom-up index for the whole economy (ODEX) in Germany decreased by 18% between 1991 and 2006, which is equivalent to an energy efficiency improvement by 1.2% per annum on average based on the ODEX, which calculates technical efficiency improvements. Since the beginning of the new century, however, the efficiency improvement measured by the ODEX has slowed down. While a continuous decrease by 1.5%/y could be observed between 1991 and 2001, the decrease in the period from 2001 to 2006 only amounted to 0.5%, which is below the EU-27 level. == Government energy policy ==

Germany used to be the fourth-largest producer of nuclear power in the world, but in 2000, the government and the German nuclear power industry agreed to phase out all nuclear power plants by 2021, Due to this reliance, Germany blocked, delayed or watered down EU proposals to cut Russian energy imports amid the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Subsequently, Germany made a radical shift in energy policy, with the goal of independence from Russian energy imports by mid-2024. Government policy emphasises conservation and the development of renewable sources, such as solar, wind, biomass, water, and geothermal power. As a result of energy saving measures, energy efficiency (the amount of energy required to produce a unit of gross domestic product) has been improving since the beginning of the 1970s. Speaking at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai in December 2023, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for a phase-out of fossil fuels, including coal, oil and natural gas, and reiterated Germany's commitment to be climate neutral by 2045, saying, "The technologies are there: wind power, photovoltaics, electric motors, green hydrogen." Sustainable energy In September 2010, the German government announced a new aggressive energy policy with the following targets: From 2026 onwards, the price will be decided at auction. == See also ==