Renewables bring record 44% of Germany's power in H1

Germany met with renewables a record 44% of its electricity needs in the first half of 2019, mainly thanks to strong winds in the period, new data shows.

The share represents an jump from 39% recorded in the same period of 2018.

The preliminary statistics by the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Wurttemberg (ZSW) and the Federal Association of the Energy and Water Industry (BDEW) show that onshore wind was the main contributor for the increase. Accounting for 19% of the nation's total power consumption, wind farms on land produced 55.8 billion kWh, which is up from 47.3 billion kWh a year back. Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems were responsible for 8% with 24 billion kWh produced, rising from 23 billion kWh. Offshore wind generation jumped to 12 billion kWh from 9.2 billion kWh in the year-ago period, meeting 4% of demand.

Other renewables, including biomass and hydropower plants, produced 36.7 billion kWh, down from 37.2 billion kWh in the first half of 2018. Biomass accounted for 8%, while hydropower covered 4% of demand.

In spite of the increased renewables production, BDEW’s CEO Stefan Kapferer said that Germany is expected to have a 54% renewables share in 2030 and thus fall short of its 65% goal unless it removes existing obstacles in the sector. “These include the area restrictions for photovoltaic and wind power plants on land and the expansion covers for wind offshore and photovoltaics outside the tendering regime," he explained.

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