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Electricity sector in Germany
Overview of the electricity sector in Germany From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Germany is a major electricity producer and consumer. It has the largest economy in the European Union. The country produced 488.5 TWh of electricity in 2024,[1] with 59.4% from renewable energy sources.[4] Germany's electrical grid is part of the synchronous grid of continental Europe.
Germany is undergoing a energy transition (energiewende) towards renewable energy, in particular solar and wind, and away from nuclear and fossil fuels. It completed its nuclear phase-out in 2023, and is in the process of phasing out coal and fossil gas. The country plans to phase out coal by 2038 or earlier.[5] In 2023, 31.1% of electricity was produced from wind power, 12.1% from solar power, 8.4% from biomass and the remaining 3.4% from hydropower and other renewables, for a total of 55% share of renewable energy sources in total electricity generation.[6] In 2024, an average of 363 grams of CO2 was emitted per kilowatt hour of electricity consumed in Germany (compared to 433 g/kWh in 2022).[7] Germany's emissions in 2022 represent a 40% reduction compared to 1990, the year of the German reunification. Germany once again met its target under the European Union's Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) in 2022.[8][9]
As part of its energy transition towards renewable energy, Germany's installed capacity for electric generation increased from 121 gigawatts (GW) in 2000 to 218 GW in 2019, an 80% increase, while electricity generation increased only 5% in the same period, due to the lower capacity factors of renewable energy sources.[10]
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International electricity trade
Germany exported 70,237 GWh of electricity and imported 51,336 GWh in 2021.[11] Germany is the second largest exporter of electricity after France, representing about 10% of electricity exports worldwide. [12][13] Germany has grid interconnections with neighboring countries representing 10% of domestic capacity.[14]: 5
Electricity per person and by power source
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Germany produced electricity per person in 2008 equal to the EU-15 average (EU-15: 7,409 kWh/person); that was 77% of the OECD average (8,991 kW⋅h/person).[15]
In 2024, Germany's electricity production was 431.7 TWh. With a population of about 83.3 million, this was 5,476 kWh per person.[16][17]
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Mode of production
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German electricity by source in 2023
- Brown coal: 77.5 TW⋅h (17.7%)
- Hard coal: 36.05 TW⋅h (8.3%)
- Natural gas: 45.79 TW⋅h (10.5%)
- Wind: 139.77 TW⋅h (32.0%)
- Solar: 53.48 TW⋅h (12.2%)
- Biomass: 42.25 TW⋅h (9.7%)
- Nuclear: 6.72 TW⋅h (1.5%)
- Hydro: 19.48 TW⋅h (4.5%)
- Oil: 3.15 TW⋅h (0.7%)
- Other: 12.59 TW⋅h (2.9%)
Net generated electricity in 2023[20]
Coal
In 2008, power from coal supplied 291 TWh or 46% of Germany's overall production of 631 TWh, but this dropped to 118 TWh (24%) in 2020.[21] In 2010 Germany was still one of the world's largest consumers of coal at 4th place behind China (2,733 TWh), USA (2,133 TWh) and India (569 TWh).[22] By 2019 it had fallen to 8th, behind smaller countries such as South Korea and South Africa.[23]
Germany has shut its last hardcoal mine in December 2018.[24] Germany still has three large open pit mines for lignite: Garzweiler surface mine near Cologne, the Lausitzer Braunkohlerevier and the Oberlausitzer Bergbaurevier both near the Polish border.
In January 2019 the German Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment initiated Germany's plans to entirely phase out and shut down the 84 remaining coal-fired plants on its territory by 2038.[5] This is called Kohleausstieg (Coal phase-out).[25]
Gas power station Nossener Brücke in Dresden
Nuclear power
In 2011, after the Fukushima nuclear accident had begun, the second Merkel cabinet defined a firm active phase-out policy of nuclear power ('Atomausstieg'). Also in 2011, eight nuclear reactors were permanently shut down .[26] The other nine remaining nuclear reactors were phased out by April 2023.
In 1969, Siemens and AEG founded Kraftwerk Union AG (KWU). In 1977, Siemens got 100 % of the shares. KWU was the only significant nuclear constructor in Germany. In 2000, the nuclear share was 3% of Siemens' business.[27] In 2001, Siemens Nuclear Power (SNP), the nuclear division of Siemens, merged with Framatome to form the nuclear technology company Framatome ANP.[28] In March 2011, after the Fukushima accident had began, Siemens sold its stake in Areva NP to Areva.[29]
The installed nuclear power capacity in Germany was 20 GW in 2008 and 21 GW in 2004. The production of nuclear power was 148 TWh in 2008 (sixth top by 5.4% of world total) and 167 TWh in 2004 (fourth top by 6.1% of world total).[22][30]
In 2009, nuclear power production saw a 19% reduction compared to 2004, and its share had declined smoothly over time from 27% to 23%. The share of renewable and electricity increased as well as fossil fuels such as natural gas and lignite burning, substituting for nuclear power.[15]
Renewable electricity
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Germany has been called "the world's first major renewable energy economy".[31][32] Renewable energy in Germany is mainly based on wind, solar and biomass. Germany had the world's largest photovoltaic installed capacity until 2014, and as of 2016, it is third with 40 GW. It is also the world's third country by installed wind power capacity, at 50 GW, and second for offshore wind, with over 4 GW.
Chancellor Angela Merkel, along with a vast majority of her compatriots, believes, "As the first big industrialized nation, we can achieve such a transformation toward efficient and renewable energies, with all the opportunities that brings for exports, developing new technologies and jobs".[33] The share of renewable electricity rose from just 3.4% of gross electricity consumption in 1990 to exceed 10% by 2005, 20% by 2011 and 30% by 2015, reaching 36.2% of consumption by year end 2017.[34] As with most countries, the transition to renewable energy in the transport and heating and cooling sectors has been considerably slower.
More than 23,000 wind turbines and 1.4 million solar PV systems are distributed all over the country.[35][36][when?] According to official figures, around 370,000 people were employed in the renewable energy sector in 2010, particularly in small and medium-sized companies.[37] This is an increase of around 8% compared to 2009 (around 339,500 jobs), and well over twice the number of jobs in 2004 (160,500). About two-thirds of these jobs are attributed to the Renewable Energy Sources Act.[38][39]
Germany's federal government is working to increase renewable energy commercialization,[40] with a particular focus on offshore wind farms.[41] A major challenge is the development of sufficient network capacities for transmitting the power generated in the North Sea to the large industrial consumers in southern parts of the country.[42] Germany's energy transition, the Energiewende, designates a significant change in energy policy from 2011. The term encompasses a reorientation of policy from demand to supply and a shift from centralized to distributed generation (for example, producing heat and power in very small cogeneration units), which should replace overproduction and avoidable energy consumption with energy-saving measures and increased efficiency. At the end of 2020, Germany had 2.3 GWh of home battery storage, often in conjunction with solar panels,[43] and home storage increased to 15.4 GWh at the end of 2024 while large-scale storage was 2.3 GWh.[44] Large-scale batteries can take 2 years to build, while a 30 MW battery can take a year.[45] In 2024, Germany had more than 400 hours of negative electricity prices, supplying low cost input for storage.[46]
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Electricity prices
German electricity prices in 2020 were 31.47 euro cents per kW⋅h for residential customers (an increase of 126% since 2000),[47] and 17.8 euro cents per kW⋅h for non-residential customers (21.8 with taxes).[48][49][50]
German households and small businesses have paid the highest electricity price in Europe for many years in a row. 32 % of the power price consists of taxes and duties, 27,5 % grid fees and 40,5 % electricity generation.
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Transmission network
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Grid owners included, in 2008, RWE, EnBW, Vattenfall and E.ON. According to the European Commission the electricity producers should not own the electricity grid to ensure open competition. The European Commission accused E.ON of the misuse of markets in February 2008. Consequently, E.ON sold its share of the network.[51] As of July 2016 the four German TSOs are:
- 50Hertz Transmission GmbH (owned by Elia, formerly owned by Vattenfall)
- Amprion GmbH (RWE)
- Tennet TSO GmbH (owned by TenneT, formerly owned by E.ON)
- TransnetBW (renamed from EnBW Transportnetze AG and a 100% subsidiary of EnBW)
In Germany, there also exists a single-phase AC grid operated at 16.7 Hz to supply power to rail transport, see list of installations for 15 kV AC railway electrification in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Special features of German transmission network
 | This section may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may only interest a particular audience. (August 2023) |
There are some special features in the transmission network of Germany. Also they have no direct influence on operation, they are remarkable under technical viewpoints.
Garland-type communication cables
Many powerlines in Baden-Württemberg, which were built by Energie-Versorgung-Schwaben (EVS, now part of EnBW) are equipped with a communication cable, which hangs like a garland on the ground conductor. Some of these lines have also a second communication cable hanging on an auxiliary wire, which is usually fixed on the pinnacle of the pylon below the ground conductor. Such devices are usually installed on lines with voltages of 110 kV and more, but there existed also a 20 kV-line near Eberdingen, which had a communication cable fixed like a garland on a conductor rope. Although communication cables fixed like a garland where replaced in the last decades by free-hanging communication cables many of these devices are still in use. If a downlink of the communication cable from the suspension level to the ground is necessary, which is for example the case at amplifier stations, lines built by former Energie-Versorgung-Schwaben (EVS) use therefore a cable in the centre of the tower strung by a pond instead of a cable fixed at the tower structure. This construction type can be found as well on lines using garland-type communication cables as on lines using freely span communication cables.
A 110 kV-line with a communication cable hanging like a garland on the ground conductor
380 kV/110 kV-line Pulverdingen-Oberjettingen with two communication cables hanging like garlands on ropes above the power conductors
A 110 kV-line with two communication cables fixed like garlands on grounded ropes on a half of the lowest crossbar
20 kV-line near Eberdingen with communication cable hanging like a garland on the lowest conductor
Communication cable running down in the centre of the pylon
Powerline crossings of Elbe river near Stade
There are two powerline crossings of the Elbe river near Stade, whose pylons are among the tallest structures in Europe.
Elbe Crossing 1 is a group of masts providing an overhead crossing of a 220 kV three-phase alternating current electric powerline across the River Elbe.[52] Constructed between 1959 and 1962 as part of the line from Stade to Hamburg north, it consists of four masts. Each of the two portal masts is a guyed mast 50 metres (160 ft) in height with a crossbeam at a height of 33 metres (108 ft). One of these masts stands on the Schleswig-Holstein bank of the Elbe and the other on the Lower Saxony bank. Two identical carrying masts 189 metres (620 ft) in height, each weighing 330 tonnes (320 long tons; 360 short tons), ensure the necessary passage height of 75 metres (246 ft) over the Elbe. One stands on the island of Lühesand, the other in the Buhnenfeld on the Schleswig-Holstein side.
Because of the swampy terrain, each mast's foundation is built on pilings driven into the ground. The Lühesand portal mast rests on 41 pilings and the one on the Buhnenfeld on 57. In contrast to the usual construction of such lattice-steel transmission towers, the direction of the line passes diagonally over the square ground cross section of the pylon, resulting in savings in material. The two crossbeams for the admission of the six conductor cables are at a height of 166 metres (545 ft) and 179 metres (587 ft). The mast on the Buhnenfeld bears at a height of 30 metres (98 ft) a radar facility belonging to the Water and Navigation Office of the Port of Hamburg. Each portal mast has stairs and gangways for maintenance of flight safety beacons, and has a hoist for heavy loads.
Elbe Crossing 2 is a group of transmission towers providing overhead lines for four 380 kV three-phase alternating current (AC) circuits across the German river Elbe.[53][54] It was constructed between 1976 and 1978 to supplement Elbe Crossing 1, and consists of four towers:
- A 76-metre-tall anchor pylon located in Lower Saxony, on the Elbe's southern banks.
- Two carrying pylons, each 227 metres (745 ft) tall. One is located on the island of Lühesand and the other is near Hetlingen in Schleswig-Holstein, on the northern shore.
- These pylons are the tallest pylons in Europe and the sixth tallest of the world. They stand on 95 piers because of the unfavorable building ground. The base of each pylon measures 45 by 45 metres (148 ft × 148 ft) and each pylon weighs 980 tonnes (960 long tons; 1,080 short tons). Crossbeams, which hold up the power cables, are located at heights of 172 (564), 190 (620) and 208 metres (682 ft). The crossbeams span 56 metres or 184 feet (lowest crossbeam), 72 metres or 236 feet (middle crossbeam) and 57 metres or 187 feet (highest crossbeam). Each pylon has a self-propelled climbing elevator for maintenance of the aircraft warning lights; each elevator runs inside a steel tube in the centre of the mast, around which there is a spiral staircase.
- A 62-metre-tall (203 ft) anchor pylon on the Schleswig-Holstein side.
The enormous height of the two carrying pylons ensures that the passage height requirement of 75 metres (246 ft) over the Elbe demanded by German authorities is met. The height requirement ensures that large ships are able to enter Hamburg's deep-water port.
Electricity pylons
Unlike in most other countries, there are only few three-level or delta pylons. Instead, two-level lattice pylons called de:Donaumast are widely used. These carry two cables on the upper and four cables on the lower crossarm. Particularly in eastern Germany one-level pylons were used too. Power lines with less than 100 kV mostly run underground today. Unlike in the USA and many other countries, roadside medium-voltage overhead lines do not exist.[55]
Other features
A 302 metres tall cooling tower of Scholven Power Station at Gelsenkirchen, which is used by four units of these thermal power station is equipped with three booms carrying the conductors of a 220 kV-circuit leaving one of these units.
From 1977 to 2010 a 74.84 metres high strainer of powerline Oberzier-Niedersechtem was equipped with a public observation deck in a height of 27 metres, which was accessible by a staircase. After too much vandalism occurred, which endangered also the integrity of the pylon, this observation deck was removed.
As in many other countries, power companies in Germany use radio relay links for data transmissions. In most cases the antennas used therefore are installed on lattice towers, but at some sites concrete towers are used for this purpose. The 87 metres tall radio relay tower on Goose Neck mountain (German: Gänsehals) near Bell is the only of these towers equipped with a public observation deck. It is situated in a height of 24 metres and accessible by a staircase.
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See also
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