The electricity sector in Germany included in the year 2009 fossil fuelled power 61 %, nuclear power 23 % and renewable energy 18 %. Germany has defined a phase-out policy of nuclear power by 2022. In 2009 compared to 2004 the nuclear power was produced 19 % less and its share has declined from 27 % units to 23 % units substituted with the renewable electricity: wind power, biomass and solar power.
Contents |
Germany produced power pro person in 2008 equal to EU15 average (EU15: 7,409 kWh/person) and 77 % of the OECD average (8,991 kWh/person).[1]
Germany, the largest exporter of electricity with 10% of the overall exports, reinforced its position as a net exporter by 20% during the year 2010[2]
| Electricity per person in Germany (kWh/inhabitant)[1] | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use | Production | Export | Exp. % | Fossil | Nuclear | Nuc. % | Other RE* | Bio+waste | Wind | Non RE use* | RE % | |
| 2004 | 7,445 | 7,476 | 32 | 0.4 % | 4,603 | 2,025 | 27.2 % | 654 | 194 | 6,597 | 11.4 % | |
| 2005 | 7,468 | 7,523 | 55 | 0.7 % | 4,674 | 1,977 | 26.5 % | 670 | 201 | 6,597 | 11.7 % | |
| 2006 | 7,528 | 7,727 | 199 | 2.6 % | 4,796 | 1,706 | 22.7 % | 856 | 369 | 6,303 | 16.3 % | |
| 2008 | 7,450 | 7,693 | 243 | 3.3 % | 4,635 | 1,804 | 24.2 % | 873 | 381 | 6,196 | 16.8 % | |
| 2009 | 7,051 | 7,200 | 149 | 2.1 % | 4,314 | 1,644 | 23.3 % | 288* | 491 | 461* | 5,811 | 17.6 % |
| * Other RE is waterpower, solar and geothermal electricity and wind power until 2008 * Non RE use = use – production of renewable electricity * RE % = (production of RE / use) * 100 % Note: European Union calculates the share of renewable energies in gross electrical consumption. |
||||||||||||
According to the IEA the gross production of electricity was 631 TWh in 2008 which gave the 7 th position among the world top producers in 2010. The top seven countries produced 59 % of electricity in 2008. The top producers were: 1) United States 21.5 % 2) China 17.1% 3) Japan 5.3 % 4) Russia 5.1 % 5) India 4.1 % 6) Canada 3.2 % and 7) Germany 3.1 %[3]
Power mix in 2008 included 291TWh coal (46 % of total 631 TWh). Germany was in 4 th position for coal-produced power after China (2,733 TWh), USA (2,133 TWh) and India (569 TWh).[3]
Germany has defined a firm active phase-out policy of nuclear power. Eight nuclear power plants were shut down after the Fukushima accident for ever. All nuclear power plants will be phased out by the end of 2022. According to BMU this an opportunity for future generations.[4]
Siemens is the only significant nuclear constructor in Germany and nuclears share was 3% of their business in 2000.[5] In 2006 the large international bribes of Siemens in the energy and telecommunication business were revealed. The case was investigated e.g. in Nigeria, the United States, Greece and South Korea.[6]
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 (6 th top by 5.4 % of world total) and 167 TWh in 2004 (4 th top by 6.1 % of world total).[3][7]
In 2009 compared to 2004 the nuclear power was produced 19 % less and its share had declined smoothly with time from 27 % units to 23 % units. The share of renewable electricity increased substituting the nuclear power.[1]
Renewable electricity in 2010 was 101.7 TWh including wind power 36.5 TWh, biomass and biowaste 33.5 TWh, hydropower 19.7 TWh and photovoltage solar power 12.0 TWh.[8]
According to the Öko-Institut the renewable electricity share could be increased from 6% in 2000 to 35% in 2020.[9] According to BMU the share was ca 16 % in 2009. Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz (EEG) provide the power connection and feed-in tariff (since 1991) for the renewable energy. The renewable electricity mix in 2009 included wind power 38 TWh, biomass 25 TWh, hydropower 19 TWh, photovoltage solar power 6 TWh and biowaste 5 TWh, According to BMU the share of renewable electricity increased 7 % between 2009 and 2004 and 10 % in 2000-2009.[10]
Main wind power providers in Germany up to 2009 were Enercon 60 %, Vestas 19 % and REpower Systems 9 %.[11]
Installed wind power in Germany was 27.214 GW at the end of 2010 and 25.777 GW at the end of 2009. The share of wind power in the end of 2010 was in average 9.4% of electricity need. This was 5 th top in Europe behind Denmark (24% of electricity), Spain (14.4%), Portugal(14%) and Ireland (10.1%).[12]
Grid owners included in 2008 RWE, EnBW, Vattenfall and E.ON. According to the European Comission the electricity pdoducers should not own the electricity grid to ensure free electicity competition. The European Comission accused E.ON of the misuse of markets in February 2008. Consequently, E.ON sold its share of the grid network.[13]
|
||||||||||||||