Wind energy has achieved a significant milestone in Germany during the first quarter of 2023, becoming the primary source of electricity and leading the renewable momentum in the country. According to data provided by the statistical office Destatis, wind production reached an impressive 60,485 GWh during this period, accounting for a solid 32.2% of the electricity generated in Germany. This marked a notable increase of 11.6% compared to the same period the previous year.
This remarkable achievement by wind energy becomes even more noteworthy as it surpasses coal-fired power plants, which historically had been a major source of electricity in the country. Coal-fired power plants contributed only 30% of the electricity in the first quarter of 2023, signifying a significant decline of 12% in their production. Additionally, nuclear energy also experienced a 33% decrease due to the progressive closure of nuclear plants in Germany. On the other hand, natural gas power production saw a modest increase of 2.5%, reaching 14.6% of the electricity mix.
Renewable energy as a whole covered a prominent share of 48.6% of the electricity demand in Germany between January and March. Despite a 27% decrease in solar photovoltaic production, renewables demonstrated their resilience and ability to supply a significant portion of the country’s electricity consumption. An interesting fact is that Germany was able to export more electricity than it imported during this period, resulting in a positive balance of 9.2 billion kWh.
Germany has set an ambitious target for the future: to achieve 80% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Wind energy has solidified itself as the key technology to accomplish this goal, thanks to its capacity to generate large amounts of clean and sustainable energy. However, as electrification expands to other sectors such as transportation and heating, an increase in electricity consumption is expected in the coming years. This will require careful planning and further expansion of renewable energy sources to ensure a reliable and sustainable energy supply throughout the country.