London (Platts)--16Dec2011/910 am EST/1410 GMT
Renewable energy has become Germany's second-most important energy source, surpassing nuclear and coal and ranking just behind lignite in this year's energy mix table, German energy industry association BDEW said Friday. Germany's share of renewable energy sources in overall electricity consumption rose to an annual record of 19.9% for 2011, up from 16.4% in 2010, the BDEW said in a statement based on a first estimate. The figure is slightly down from the first half of the year when renewables contributed for the first time ever more than 20% to the energy mix, the BDEW said. Biggest energy source in Germany remains lignite coal, which increased its share from 23.2% in 2010 to 24.6% this year, the BDEW said. Hard coal remained little changed at 18.7%, while gas-fired power generation dropped slightly to 13.6% from 13.8% in 2010. Article continues below... Request a free trial of: Renewable Energy Report Renewable Energy Report provides unrivalled coverage of policy, markets and finance by focusing on the commercial implications of the global renewable energy industry. Expert editorial comment highlights major industry trends, creating a forum for alternative opinions. The newsletter's unique value proposition is quite simple - it helps you assess opportunities as they occur and avoid costly errors.
Renewable energy has become Germany's second-most important energy source, surpassing nuclear and coal and ranking just behind lignite in this year's energy mix table, German energy industry association BDEW said Friday. Germany's share of renewable energy sources in overall electricity consumption rose to an annual record of 19.9% for 2011, up from 16.4% in 2010, the BDEW said in a statement based on a first estimate. The figure is slightly down from the first half of the year when renewables contributed for the first time ever more than 20% to the energy mix, the BDEW said. Biggest energy source in Germany remains lignite coal, which increased its share from 23.2% in 2010 to 24.6% this year, the BDEW said. Hard coal remained little changed at 18.7%, while gas-fired power generation dropped slightly to 13.6% from 13.8% in 2010.
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Renewable Energy Report provides unrivalled coverage of policy, markets and finance by focusing on the commercial implications of the global renewable energy industry. Expert editorial comment highlights major industry trends, creating a forum for alternative opinions. The newsletter's unique value proposition is quite simple - it helps you assess opportunities as they occur and avoid costly errors.
Nuclear energy plunged from a 22.4% share in 2010 to just 17.7% in 2011 after the German government in March decided to permanently close eight older reactors, the BDEW said. Wind power remains Germany's most important source of renewable energy, increasing its share to 7.6% from 6% in 2010. Power from biomass followed with a total share of 5.2% (4.4%), it added. Solar PV nearly doubled its share to 3.2% (1.9%), ousting hydro on 3.1% (3.3%) from third place due to the sunny but dry weather in the first half of the year. The BDEW is the German energy industry's federal lobby group with around 1,800 member companies representing about 90% of Germany's power and gas market. --Andreas Franke, andreas_franke@platts.com
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