According to the German Federal Statistical Office, in the first half of 2024, 61.5% of Germany's electricity generation came from wind, solar, hydropower and biomass. This means that compared with the first half of 2023, renewable energy generation increased by more than 9%, exceeding the generation in the first half of any previous year. The German government is promoting the development of renewable energy, including vigorously promoting statutory expansion paths and ensuring accelerated approval procedures through treaties.
Wind energy is the most important energy source
Wind energy is by far the most important energy source for electricity generation - one-third of domestic electricity generation in the first half of 2024 came from wind turbines. However, due to the emergence of new photovoltaic systems, solar power generation also increased significantly, accounting for 13.9% of total energy.
The trend of renewable energy development is also reflected in the sharp decline in traditional energy sources. Currently, only 38.5% of domestic electricity generation comes from coal, natural gas and other conventional energy sources, which is 21.8% less than in the first half of 2023. Coal remains the second largest energy source, accounting for 20.9%, but coal-fired power generation has reached its lowest level since 2018.
Electricity consumption is also on the rise
According to the Federal Network Agency and the Federal Environment Agency, electricity consumption data for the first half of 2024 show that the share of renewable energy is increasing significantly. In the first half of 2024, 57% of electricity consumption came from renewable sources. And it is continuing to grow. With the number of installations approved increasing, the German government expects the expansion of renewable energy to accelerate further this year.
Onshore wind energy accelerates
Wind energy needs to catch up the most. The Act on the Growth and Accelerated Expansion of Onshore Wind Energy Resources stipulates that the federal states must devote 2% of their land area to wind power. This target is being achieved. The federal states are implementing this area target or have already provided for it in state law.
The number of wind turbines approved has almost doubled in just one year: 4,000 MW of wind power was approved in 2021 and 2022, while the figure for 2023 is close to 8,000 MW.
Projects are now approved an average of four months faster than a year ago. This is the speed we need to achieve our climate protection goals. The number of wind turbines approved in the first half of 2024 increased by nearly 70% compared to the same period last year. A total of 987 new onshore wind turbine projects were approved with a total capacity of 5.6 GW (about 5.6 MW per wind turbine). This is equivalent to the approval of about 5.4 wind turbines per day. If all these wind turbines are put into operation, the development of onshore wind energy will go a step further.
New offshore wind turbines connected to the grid
Usually, offshore wind farms take longer to build than onshore wind farms. This is because offshore giant projects far from the mainland are more complex technically and in terms of equipment transportation. But offshore wind turbines are obviously more dynamic.
In 2023, 27 new offshore wind turbines were put into operation with an installed capacity of 0.257 GW. This brings the installed capacity of wind turbines on the coasts of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea to almost 8.5 GW. In the first half of 2024, the wind turbines of the offshore wind farms "Godewind 3" and "Borkum Riffgrund 3" added another 377 MW of installed capacity in the Baltic and North Seas. With the Offshore Wind Energy Act and faster planning and approval procedures, the German government is promoting the development of offshore wind energy. From 2023, the Federal Network Agency will allocate more areas for offshore wind farms using a new dynamic procedure. The agency is continuously publishing tenders for offshore wind farms.