Working Group on Energy Balances (AGEB)

According to preliminary calculations by the Working Group on Energy Balances (AG Energiebilanzen), domestic primary energy consumption reached 5,489 PJ or 187.3 Mtce in the first half of 2025 (Figure 1). This was 2.3 % more than in the same period of the previous year. According to AG Energiebilanzen, this represents a noticeable slowdown from the strong growth of 5.5 % observed in the first three months of the current year.

The cooler weather compared to the same period last year had a significant impact on current consumption trends, leading to increases in consumption in the space heating segment of the energy sector. Adjusted for the weather effect, energy consumption in the first six months of the current year would have risen by only 0.4 %.

Macroeconomic developments also had consumption-increasing effects. In the first half of 2025, macroeconomic output is expected to have increased by 0.8 % compared with the same period last year. However, a large part of this growth is attributable to energy-intensive service sectors. By contrast, production in the manufacturing sector fell by 2.3 %, with particularly energy-intensive sectors of the economy shrinking by as much as 3.2 %. According to AG Energiebilanzen, this means that the impact of the slight improvement in overall economic development on energy consumption is likely to be rather small. Last year’s leap day had an additional consumption-reducing effect on developments in the current year.

In addition, the increased use of fossil fuels in electricity generation had a consumption-increasing effect. To compensate for the decline in wind and water power, more natural gas and hard coal were used. Since the efficiency of conventional power plants is lower than that of wind turbines and hydroelectric power plants, the demand for primary energy increased.

The consumption of mineral oil rose by a total of 2.6 % in the first six months of the current year. Consumption of petrol rose by 3.6 %, while diesel fuel consumption increased by 2.0 %. By contrast, sales of aviation fuel fell by 2.5 %. Deliveries of raw petrol to the chemical industry declined by 5.4 %. Sales of light heating oil rose by just under 18 %.

Natural gas consumption rose by 4.7 % in the first half of the current year. The cold weather, particularly in February, led to a significant increase in demand for natural gas for heating purposes. The use of natural gas for electricity generation also rose by around 8 %, helping to offset the decline in electricity generation from wind and water.

Hard coal consumption in the first six months was almost at the same level as in the same period last year. The use of hard coal in power stations for electricity generation rose by over 23 % as a result of the decline in feed-in from wind turbines and hydroelectric power stations. By contrast, sales to the iron and steel industry fell by just under 12 % due to the decline in pig iron production.

In the first half of 2025, 1.4 % less lignite was used in Germany than in the same period of the previous year. By contrast, deliveries to general supply power stations and thus electricity generation from lignite reached almost the same level as in the same period of the previous year. This development reflects the increasingly flexible use of lignite-fired power stations and their use in medium and peak loads to compensate for fluctuating feed-in from renewable energies.

In the first half of 2025, 27 PJ more electricity was imported than exported. This means that the electricity import balance was lower than in the same period of the previous year. The reason for this is the significantly higher electricity generation from renewable energies in the second quarter, especially from photovoltaic (PV) systems.

The contribution of renewable energies in the first half of 2025 was 1.3 % higher overall than in the same period of the previous year. However, low wind and dry weather reduced electricity generation from wind by 18 % and from water by 29 %. A high number of hours of sunshine and a strong expansion of installations led to a 25 % increase in PV. Due to weather conditions, the use of renewable energies in heat generation also increased, rising by 5 %.

According to rough calculations by AG Energiebilanzen, the increase in the use of fossil fuels in electricity generation and heat supply led to an increase in energy-related CO₂ emissions of around 2.6 % or approximately 6 Mt in the first half of 2025. (AG Energie­bilanzen/Si.)

Energy consumption in Germany reached a level of 11,769 PJ or 401.6 Mtce in 2022. This corresponds to a decrease of 5.4 % compared to the previous year. Energy consumption thus fell to its lowest level since reunification, writes Arbeitsgemeinschaft Energiebilanzen (AG Energie­bilanzen), Berlin/Germany, in its Annual Report 2022 (Figure 1). The development of energy consumption and the use of the various energy sources (Figure 2) in the reporting year were significantly influenced by the war in Ukraine. The halt in Russian gas imports, the rise in energy prices, measures to combat an impending energy crisis and gas shortages had a drastic impact on the supply and consumption of energy sources in Germany, the AG Energiebilanzen continued.

The milder weather compared to 2021 also had a significant influence on the decline in primary energy consumption (PEC). Without the consumption-reducing temperature influence, energy consumption would have fallen by only 4 % compared to the previous year, according to calculations by AG Energiebilanzen. Apart from the months of September and December, it was consistently warmer in 2022 than in the previous year. It was also significantly warmer compared to the long-term average (1990 to 2021). Only in May and September were the outdoor temperatures below the long-term average. The mild temperatures contributed significantly to the fact that a critical escalation on the energy market could be avoided.

Factors increasing consumption in 2022 included economic development and population growth. The overall economic performance increased by 1.9 %. The economic slowdown was thus noticeably less than expected and there was an increase in consumption in the order of 135 PJ compared to the previous year. An increase in energy consumption of about 94 PJ resulted from the increase in population by about one million people.

According to the assessment of the AG Energiebilanzen, the price development on the energy markets last year caused a noticeable reduction in consumption. The import prices for crude oil, natural gas and hard coal rose by an annual average of 58 to 179 %. Consumer prices rose by 87 % for heating oil, 65 % for natural gas and more than 20 % for electricity.

The energy and climate policy framework conditions again had a not inconsiderable influence on the development of consumption for the individual energy sources in 2022. At the national level, further steps towards a complete phase-out of nuclear energy, the beginning of the coal phase-out and the continued promotion of renewable energies led to changes in the energy mix. At the European level, the emission ceilings of the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) as well as the overarching climate protection goals have an impact on the level and composition of energy consumption in Germany.

According to calculations by AG Energiebilanzen, overall economic energy productivity improved by around 7.7 % in 2022. This value is significantly above the level of the long-term average for the period from 1990 to 2022 of around 2.3  %/a. According to AG Energiebilanzen, the drastic increase in energy prices in particular has led to additional energy savings and substitutions for many consumers. However, growth losses in the commercial economy, especially in energy-intensive sectors, as well as statistical effects in the primary energy assessment of renewable energies also had an influence on the development of energy efficiency.

On the basis of preliminary energy balance data, the AG Energiebilanzen assumes that energy-related CO₂ emissions decreased by around 1.3 % last year. This would correspond to a decrease of around 8.2 Mt.

In the area of electricity and heat generation, CO₂ emissions probably increased by around 4.8 % or 9 Mt. Decreases in electricity generation from nuclear power and natural gas were offset by increased use of hard coal and lignite, which led to an increase in CO₂ intensity in this sector. The increased provision of electricity from renewable energy sources could not offset this effect. In the transport sector, increased fuel consumption also caused an increase in CO₂ emissions. Here, the increase was 7.7 % or more than 11 Mt. In the manufacturing industry, however, emissions were reduced by about 10Mt. CO₂ emissions from private households fell by around 4.5 Mt, mainly due to the temperature effect and consumers’ efforts to save. This corresponds to a reduction of 5.3 % compared to the previous year.

The consumption of mineral oil increased by a total of 2.9 % to 4,156 PJ (141.8 Mtce) in 2022. The share of mineral oil in total PEC increased to 35.3 % (previous year 32.5 %). The consumption of petrol increased by 3.8 %, diesel fuel only showed a slight increase of 0.5 %. Sales of light heating oil increased by more than 9 %, as many consumers stocked up despite the price development. Sales of aviation fuel again rose strongly by almost 44 %. Deliveries of raw petrol to the chemical industry, on the other hand, decreased by around 4 %.

Natural gas consumption decreased by 15.7 % to 2,783 PJ (95.0 Mtce) in 2022. The share of natural gas in total PEC fell to 23.6 % (previous year: 26.6 %). Thus, the European goal of reducing natural gas consumption by 15 % to compensate for the import ban on Russian natural gas was fully met by Germany. Demand for natural gas from industry fell by 17.3 %. Consumption by private households fell by 13.5 %. The power and heating plants reduced their use of natural gas by 16.7 %, and there was a drop of 17.3 % in the provision of heat.

To secure the natural gas supply, the underground storage facilities connected to the German natural gas grid were filled as a matter of priority after the lowest filling level of just under 25 % was reached in mid-March 2022. Due to low temperatures, the withdrawal phase began in the first half of December. At the end of the year, the filling level of the natural gas storage facilities in Germany was still just over 90 %. On 21st December 2022, natural gas was fed into the domestic gas grid for the first time via the LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven.

The consumption of hard coal increased by 4 % in 2022 and reached a level of 1,156 PJ (39.4 Mtce). The use of hard coal in power plants, which accounts for about half of total consumption, increased by more than 16 %. The use of hard coal in the iron and steel industry, on the other hand, declined slightly by 2.2 %. The share of hard coal in total PEC increased from 8.9 % to 9.8 %. The increased use of hard coal in electricity generation helped to compensate for the reduced use of natural gas in power plants and benefited from the further decline in nuclear energy.

The consumption of lignite increased by 3.5 % to 1,174 PJ (40.1 Mtce). Compared to the average of the past five years, however, lignite continued to follow the downward trend. Almost 90 % of domestic lignite production went to general supply power plants. Electricity generation from lignite rose from 110 to 116 TWh, covering about one fifth of domestic electricity demand. Lignite had a share of 10.0 % of total PEC in 2022 (previous year: 9.1 %).

Nuclear energy almost halved its electricity production to 34.7 bn kWh in the reporting period. The contribution of nuclear energy to PEC fell to 379 PJ (12.9 Mtce). This development was caused by the decommissioning of the power plant units Grohnde, Brokdorf and Gundremmingen with a combined capacity of 4,058 MW. The installed capacity of nuclear power plants in Germany thus decreased to 4,055 MW. Amendments to the Atomic Energy Act opened up the possibility of operating the remaining three power plant units (Neckarwestheim 2, Isar 2 and Emsland) for three and a half months longer than originally planned. In 2022, nuclear energy had a share of 3.2 % (previous year 6.1 %) of total energy consumption.

Renewables increased their contribution to PEC in 2022 by 3.8 % to 2,023 PJ (69.0 Mtce). The share of renewables in total PEC reached 17.2 % in 2022 (previous year 15.7 %). The favourable weather conditions for wind power generation and the historic peak in solar irradiation had a significant influence on this development. Compared to the low wind year 2021, wind power generation increased by 8.5 % in 2022. Wind power thus remained the most important energy source in the German electricity mix in 2022. Electricity generation from photovoltaic plants covered more than 11 % of gross electricity consumption in Germany for the first time in 2022. In contrast, electricity generation from biomass remained almost constant in 2022. Due to the widespread drought, electricity generation from hydropower decreased by 11 %.

There were noticeable shifts in the energy mix for 2022. Mineral oil remained the most important energy source with a share of 35.3 % (previous year 32.5 %), followed by natural gas with 23.6 % (previous year 26.6 %). Hard coal accounted for a share of 9.8 % (previous year 8.9 %). Lignite increased its share to 10.0 % (previous year 9.1 %). The contribution of nuclear energy was 3.2 % (previous year 6.1 %). Renewable energies expanded their share of total energy consumption to 17.2 % (previous year 15.7 %).

Domestic energy production (Figure 3) recorded an increase of about 2.2 % to 3,647 PJ (124.4 Mtce) in 2022.

The extraction of natural gas and crude oil declined again. In contrast, renewables, which are included in the domestic energy sources, recorded an increase of 3.8 %. Lignite also increased by a similar amount. Hard coal has no longer been produced in Germany since the end of 2018. Overall, energy production from domestic resources was able to cover 31 % of total consumption. In the previous year, the share was 28.7 %. The most important domestic energy source is now renewables with a share of 55.6 % (previous year 54.7 %). It is followed by lignite with 32.7 % (previous year 32.3 %).

The detailed report of the AG Ener­gie­bilanzen on the development of PEC in 2022 is available for download on the website of the AG Energiebilanzen (www.ag-energiebilanzen.de).
(AG Energiebilanzen/Si.)

In 2021, energy consumption in Germany reached 12,193 PJ or 416.1 Mtce (Figure 1). This is a rise of 2.6 % compared to the previous year. However, the Working Group on Energy Balances (AG Energiebilanzen), Berlin/Germany, states energy consumption is still noticeably below pre-Covid levels which indicates that energy and overall economic development in Germany is still heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and its consequences.

Factors in favour of increased consumption in 2021 included the economic recovery as well as the cooler weather conditions compared with the previous year. Overall economic performance increased by roughly 2.4 %. During the last quarter of the year, however, almost no more impacts based on economic development could be observed on energy consumption since supply bottlenecks, a weakening construction trajectory and the running out of catch-up effects led to a stagnation in the economic recovery. The increase in primary energy consumption (PEC) was seriously impacted by significantly cooler outdoor temperatures compared with 2020. When adjusted to take account of the weather, the AG Energie-bilanzen calculates that energy consumption would only have risen by 0.6 %.

According to the AG Energiebilanzen’s estimation, the energy markets’ price trend in the year now ending led to a significant drop in consumption. In particular, the prices of natural gas and crude oil rose very sharply compared with the previous year. The price of CO₂ emission certificates more than doubled compared with the previous year and reached historic levels towards the end of the year. The higher energy and CO₂ prices have, according to the AG Energiebilanzen, noticeably curbed the growth-based increase in PEC.

In 2021, mineral oil consumption decreased by a total of 5.1 % to 3,877 PJ (132.3 Mtce). The proportion of mineral oil as part of PEC decreased to 31.8 % (34.4 % previous year). The consumption of petrol rose slightly by 0.6 %, while diesel consumption declined by 1 %. Sales of light heating oil dropped by approximately 27 %, since many consumers used up their stock after prices rose. Sales of aviation fuel rose sharply by almost 22 % and supplies of petroleum to the chemicals industry increased by 12.4 %.

The consumption of natural gas in 2021 increased by 3.9 % to 3,258 PJ (111.2 Mtce). This development was mainly due to the much cooler and mostly less windy weather in the first five months of the year, which meant that more natural gas was used to generate heat and electricity. From the middle of the year onwards, price increases resulted in a wider variety of energy sources being used to generate heat and electricity. The proportion of natural gas as part of total PEC rose slightly from 26.4 to 26.7 %.

Coal consumption in 2021 increased by 17.9 % and peaked at 1,052 PJ (35.9 Mtce). The use of coal in power stations, which makes up roughly half of total consumption, increased by approximately 25 %. The iron and steel industry increased their demand by 13 %. Using coal in power stations was supported by the rise in prices of competing energy types as well as the lower rate of wind energy being generated due to the weather. These economic effects led to this energy source profiting from sales to the steel industry. The percentage of coal in overall PEC increased from 7.5 to 8.6 %.

Lignite consumption increased by 18 % to 1,130 PJ (38.6 Mtce), yet remained about 3 % below comparative values from 2019 and is thus is still following the long-term trend. Last year’s growth is mainly due to the fact that the high level of energy supplied from wind turbines in the previous year due to the weather conditions was much lower in 2021 and due to the different competitive situation on the energy market. The proportion of lignite as part of PEC was 9.3 % in 2021 (8.1 % previous year).

Nuclear energy recorded an increase in electricity production in the reporting period by 7.2 %. The contribution of nuclear energy to PEC rose to 753 PJ (25.7 Mtce). Using the full capacity of nuclear power stations was supported in Germany by greater demand for electricity, less electricity being generated by renewables and the rise in the prices of energy and CO₂. As part of the push to stop using nuclear energy, the power plant units Grohnde, Brokdorf and Gund-remmingen C are due to be shut down by the end of 2021 with a combined energy generation performance of 4,000 MW. In 2021, the proportion of nuclear energy as part of total energy consumption was 6.2 % (5.9 % previous year).

The contribution made by renewable energy sources to the PEC dropped slightly in 2021 by 0.2 % to 1,962 PJ (66.9 Mtce). The proportion of renewables as part of PEC reached 16.1 % in 2021 (16.5 % previous year). Biomass, which makes up more than 50 % of renewable energy, recorded an increase in consumption of 4 %. Hydroelectric power plants increased by 5 %. In contrast, on-shore wind power decreased by 11 % and off-shore wind power decreased by 9 %. Energy generation from photovoltaic systems rose by almost 5 %.

In 2021, again more energy was supplied abroad than was imported into Germany. Overall, the electricity exchange balance dropped to 20,440 GWh (73.6 PJ). The main reasons for this development are a drop in the amount of power generated by renewable energy sources and higher CO₂ prices.

In terms of energy-related CO₂ emissions, the AG Energiebilanzen is anticipating a rise of roughly 4 % or around 25 Mt for the year 2021 as a whole. Besides the weather- and economy-related increases in energy consumption, the slight decrease in the proportion of total consumption supplied by renewables is also of significance for this estimation. In terms of electricity generation, the drop in wind power was mostly compensated for through the secure supply from coal and lignite power plants for competitive reasons. (AG Energiebilanzen/Si.)

 

The Working Group on Energy Balances (AG Energiebilanzen) elected Michael Nickel as the new chair of the board of management and as a member of the management at this year’s general meeting in Berlin/Germany.

Nickel has been deputy chair of the AG Energiebilanzen since 2004. Before that, he had worked for the Federal Association of German Energy and Water Management (BDEW) in Berlin.

As chair and member of the board of management of the AG Energie-bilanzen, Nickel succeeds Uwe Maaßen, who is stepping down from his role as a member of the management of the German Lignite Association (DEBRIV) on account of his age and has made his voluntary role at the AG Energiebilanzen available. Maaßen has been a constant member of the board of management of the AG Energiebilanzen since 1996, and therefore for 25 years. (AG Energiebilanzen/Si.)

Energy consumption in Germany was significantly above the comparable value for the previous year in the first six months of this year. According to preliminary calculations from the Working Group on Energy Balances (AG Energiebilanzen), Berlin/Germany, consumption in the first six months rose by 4.3 % to 6,191 PJ or 211.2 Mtce (Figure 1). There had still been a slight decrease in consumption after three months, according to the AG Energiebilanzen.

The AG Energiebilanzen attributes the increase in consumption primarily to the easing of restrictions in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the resumption of economic activities. There was less wind energy available compared to the previous year, which caused the electricity generation mix to shift towards conventional energy sources. However, according to the AG Energiebilanzen, in spite of the increase compared to the previous year, the temperature-adjusted consumption values are still more than 7 % below the 2019 figures. The noticeably cooler weather compared to the same period the previous year also caused an increase in the consumption of heating energies. Without the influence of weather, energy consumption would have increased by just 2 % compared to the previous year.

The consumption of mineral oil decreased by 12.1 % in the first half of the current year compared to the general consumption trend. As a result of limited air travel, sales of aviation fuel fell by almost 20 %. Sales of petrol were down by 2.6 % and diesel by 7.0 %. Heating oil sales virtually halved in the first half of the year, as consumers decided not to top up their supplies yet due to the high prices. The share of mineral oil in overall energy consumption in this reporting period fell below the 30 % mark for the first time.

Natural gas consumption, on the other hand, rose by almost 16 %. This development was mainly due to the much cooler and, in the first three months of the year, less windy weather compared to the previous year, which meant that more natural gas was used to generate heat and electricity. The economic recovery also resulted in an increase in the consumption of natural gas.

Consumption of coal rose by just under 23 % in the first half of 2021. With regard to the use of coal for electricity and heat generation, there was an increase of -approximately 31 % as a consequence of the cool weather and lack of wind compared to the previous year. The use of coke and coal in the steel industry also increased significantly by almost 18 %.

In the first six months of the current year, the consumption of lignite increased by around a third. This increase corresponds largely to the development in supplies to power stations for general public supply. The growth is mainly due to the fact that the high level of energy supplied from wind turbines in the previous year due to the weather conditions was much lower this year. Compared with the first half of 2019, the consumption of lignite in the current year is down 12 % and is therefore in line with the multi-year trend.

Nuclear energy recorded an increase in electricity production in the first half at 7.0 %.

The contribution made by renewable energies to primary energy consumption fell by 1 % overall in the first half of the year, so renewable energies did not contribute to the increase in overall consumption, resulting in a decrease in their share of overall energy consumption (energy mix) to 16.8 % (previous year: 17.7 %). While hydropower plants supplied 5 % more power, consumption of wind energy fell by 20 % compared to the windy previous year. Solar energy consumption remained stable despite the construction of new plants. There was a 6 % increase in the use of biomass for temperature-related reasons.

In the first half of 2021, more energy was supplied abroad than was imported into Germany. Overall, the positive electricity exchange balance declined.

The changes in the contributions of individual energy sources as a result of the pandemic and the weather caused shifts in the energy mix. Firstly, with a share of 30.6 %, natural gas took the lead, while mineral oil fell to second place with 28.6 %. Despite significant increases in consumption compared to the previous year, the share of coal in total consumption rose to just 8.2 % for coal and 8.4 % for lignite. Although renewable energy consumption declined, it still took third place in the national energy mix with a share of 16.8 %. According to calculations by the AG Energiebilanzen, replacing electricity generated by renewable sources with that from fossil energy sources led to an increase of 6.3 % in CO₂ emissions in the first half of the year.

The AG Energiebilanzen notes that, due to the pandemic and its effects on economic activity and mobility, as well as unpredictable weather patterns, there may be significant shifts in consumption and the composition of energy sources over the rest of the year.
(AG Energiebilanzen)/Si.)

In 2020, energy consumption in Germany fell 8.0 % compared with the previous year and reached a total volume of 11,784 PJ or 402.1 Mtce (Figure 1). As mentioned by the Working Group on Energy Balances (AG Energiebilanzen) in its annual report, the slightly milder weather compared with the previous year had only a minor impact (-0.6 %) on the considerable decline in consumption. This fall in energy consumption to an historic low was mainly due to the consequences of the measures taken to fight the pandemic, which resulted in a reduction in industrial production and transport services and changes in consumer behaviour. According to the report issued by the AG Energiebilanzen, another factor influencing the consumption of individual energy sources is the changing energy and climate policy context. At a national level, the gradual phase-out of nuclear energy, the ongoing fossil-fuel phase-out and the continued support of renewable energies are fuelling changes in consumption. At European level, the emissions caps of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS) and the overarching climate protection goals are impacting the level and composition of energy consumption in Germany. Price trends, on the other hand, did not provide any stimulus for the economical use of energy in Germany in 2020. However, there were further efficiency gains and improvements in energy productivity. Unlike in previous years, the virtually stagnant population development did not cause an increase in consumption.

As a result of the decline in consumption and other shifts in the energy mix (Figure 2) in favour of renewable energies and natural gas, the AG Energiebilanzen estimates a reduction in energy-related CO₂ emissions in the order of approximately 63 M t. This is a decline of 9.6 % compared to the previous year.

According to calculations by the AG Energiebilanzen, overall economic energy productivity improved by 3.2 % in 2020 (2.7 % when temperature-adjusted). This parameter for the efficient use of energy is calculated from the energy input per unit of economic performance. The long-term average value of this parameter is 2.3 %.

There was a decline in the use of mineral oil in 2020 of 11.9 % to 3,973 PJ or 135.6 Mtce. With the exception of light heating oil and petroleum, sales of all mineral oil products fell. The consumption of diesel fell by more than 7 %, while petrol consumption declined by almost 10 %. The consumption of aviation fuel meanwhile fell by over 50 %. The growth of approximately 3 % in light heating oil is likely to be mainly due to consumers stocking up because of the low prices rather than an actual increase in consumption.

The consumption of natural gas dropped by 2.4 % in 2020 to 3,136 PJ or 107.0 Mtce. The main reason for the decrease in consumption is the drop in demand for natural gas from the industrial sectors (-4 %), as well as trade, commerce and services (-5 %), as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Whereas more natural gas was used for generating power and heat. In private households, consumption increased by 2.5 % despite comparatively milder temperatures.

In 2020, the use of coal was 16.6 % below the previous year’s value and peaked at 904 PJ or 30.8 Mtce. In terms of coal usage for generating power and heat at power stations, the drop was more than 26 %. This development can primarily be attributed to the reduction in power consumption, significantly higher amount of electricity supplied by wind power and photovoltaic  (PV) systems, as well as greater use of natural gas for power generation.

There was a decline in the use of lignite in  2020 of 17.8 % to approximately 956 PJ or 32.6 Mtce. There are different reasons for this development: Additional power plant units were put on standby and due to the weather conditions the power supply from wind and PV systems increased. There were also unplanned power station outages, impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on power consumption, as well as shifts in the competitive situation on the national and European power market due to low natural gas prices.

Due to the planned shutdown of the Philippsburg power station at the end of 2019, nuclear energy saw a 14.2 % decrease in electricity production in 2020.

The contribution made by renewable energies to overall energy consumption rose by 3 % overall to 1,961 PJ or 66.9 Mtce in 2020. The hydropower plants (without pump storage) supplied 6 % less power than in the previous year. In contrast, the contribution made by wind power increased 4 %. Solar energy rose by 8 %. There was an increase in the use of biomass of 2 %.

Renewable energies were able to expand their share of the energy mix once again in 2020. Biomass, solar energy, wind energy, hydropower, geothermal energy and the biogenic share of waste accounted for a total of 16.6 % of the entire domestic energy consumption. The most important energy source was once again mineral oil, with a share of 33.7 %, followed by natural gas with 26.6 %. Coal accounted for a share of 7.7 % and lignite for 8.1 %. The contribution of nuclear energy accounted for 6.0 %.

Domestic energy production recorded a decline of about 5 % to 3,425 PJ (116.9 Mtce) in 2020. Lignite production recorded the sharpest decline at almost 18 %. Domestic natural gas production fell by a similar level (-15.5 %). In contrast, the renewable energies allocated to domestic energy sources recorded an increase of around 3 %. Overall, energy production from domestic resources was able to cover just over 29 % of total consumption.

Today, the most important domestic energy source is renewable energy with a proportion of 57.7 % (previous year: 53.2 %). This is followed by lignite at almost 29 % (previous year: 32.9 %). The shares of other energy sources are in the low single-digit range. Hard coal has not been produced in Germany since the end of 2018.

The detailed report on the development of primary energy consumption in 2020 is available to download from the AG Energiebilanzen website (www.ag-energiebilanzen.de). (AG Energiebilanzen/Si.)

The energy demand for heating and lighting in Germany has decreased in the last ten years (Figure 1). According the current calculations by the Working Group on Energy Balances (AG Energiebilanzen), the heating demand in 2018 was 17 % lower than in 2008. A significant proportion of this change is due to temperature differences between the two years. After compensating for temperature, the decrease is at 2 %. The savings for lighting amounted to 14 %. The figures for domestic hot water (6 %) and refrigeration (30 %) rose however. Energy consumption for transport increased by nearly 5 %; information and communication technology required 1.6 % more energy. The AG Energiebilanzen reports that with 8,996 PJ, the demand for final energy in Germany decreased by nearly 2 % overall between 2008 and 2018 as a result of the opposing developments.

More than 53 % of the total final energy consumption in Germany is attributable to heating (Figure 2). The reduction in spatial heating demand was opposed by an increase in demand for process heat in industry and commerce. The available data show that the energy efficiency has significantly increased in both areas. However, the positive economic development of the past years has led to an overcompensation of energy savings for process heat. With roughly 39 %, motoring energy forms the second largest share of the final energy consumption. Domestic hot water, refrigeration, lighting and information and communication technology made up only around 13 % of the total final energy consumption in 2018.

 

Heating in Germany is mainly provided through gas. With a share of nearly 45 %, this heat source is far more common than mineral oil (14.9 %), renewable energies (11.6 %) as well as coal (9.4 %), electricity (9.3 %) and district heating (8.4 %). In refrigeration and air conditioning, electricity dominates with a share of nearly 98 %. Mechanical energy (transport and stationary engines/motors) is mainly generated from mineral oil (75.4 %) and electricity (20.5 %). Information and communication technology as well as lighting are also powered nearly entirely by electricity.

In terms of application areas for final energy, transport currently holds a share of 30 % with 2,705 PJ overall. Mineral oil continues to dominate consumption in this area with a share of 94 %. Renewable fuels currently take up 4.2 %, while electricity reaches 1.6 % and gas 0.2 %.

The industrial final energy consumption is only slightly below the transport sector with 2,651 PJ. Both gas (35.6 %) and electricity (30.8 %) make up high shares of the industrial final energy consumption. Renewable energies make up only 4.3 %.

Private households consumed 25.5 % or 2,291 PJ of the total final energy in 2018. Here, renewable energies already make up 14.0 %, but this is still significantly lower than mineral oil (19.4 %), gas (37.6 %) and electricity (20.3 %). The smallest application for final energy is the commerce, trade and services sector with 15.0 % of the total energy consumption. This sector uses primarily electricity (38.7 %) as well as oil (21.1 %) and gas (27.5 %).

The energy used by industry, transport, private households and the commerce, trade and services sector together makes up the final energy consumption, which forms part of the energy balance for Germany regularly created by the AG Energiebilanzen. However, the final energy consumption is not actually the last stage of energy use. End consumers (private households, industry, commerce, trade and services, and transport) convert the supplied energy into useful energy or energy services with different techniques.

Since 2014, the AG Energiebilanzen has created usage balances which provide meaningful data for this last stage of conversion on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The creation of these balances is aided by the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and (until 2017) the Institute for Energy Economy and Application Technology at the Technical University of Munich.
(AGEB/Si.)

Energy consumption in Germany will fall again this year. Based on the current figures for energy consumption in the first nine months, the Working Group on Energy Balances (AG Energiebilanzen), Berlin and Bergheim, expects a decline in energy consumption in Germany of a good 2 % to roughly 12,810 PJ (437 M t of coal) for the entire year (Figure 1). As the consumption of coal was rapidly declining and renewable energies continue to increase, the AG Energiebilanzen assumes a noticeable decline in CO₂ emissions.

According to preliminary calculations by the AG Energiebilanzen, energy consumption in Germany dropped by 2.3 % to 9,258 PJ or 315.9 M t of coal in the first nine months. The AG Energiebilanzen attributes the lower consumption to improvements in energy efficiency, substitution in the energy mix, the decline in energy consumption due to the economic situation in the energy-intensive industry sectors, as well as the continuing structural transformation. The slightly cooler weather conditions, the increase in the population, as well as slightly growing economic output, pushed up consumption. Overall, the factors contributing to higher consumption were significantly below those leading to lower consumption. Adjusted for the impact of weather conditions, the decline is expected to be a good 3 % according to calculations by the AG Energiebilanzen.

During the first nine months of this year, mineral oil consumption was a total of 1.9 % above that of the previous year‘s figure. While the consumption of diesel and petrol remained at the level of the previous year, there was an increase in aviation fuel of 4 % and the use of light heating oils saw a rise of around 25 %. In contrast, the supplies of petroleum to the chemicals industry reduced by around 11 % due to the economic situation.

Gas consumption rose by 3.9 %. Apart from the high heating requirements in the cooler spring months, the increased use of gas in power plants also contributed to this increase.

Coal consumption registered substantial falls and in the first nine months decreased by more than 18 % overall compared to the same period last year. In the power and heat generation sector there were declines of over 30 %, as more electricity was generated from renewable energies and gas. The steel industry reduced its use by a good 3 %.

The consumption of lignite was also in the minus in the first nine months and reduced by 21.7 %. The supplies to the lignite-fired power stations also fell considerably due to the safety preparedness of other power plant blocks, the reduced handling in the surface mine, a higher number of power plant upgrades compared to the previous year, as well as the increase in electricity generation from renewable energies.

Compared with the previous year, nuclear energy saw a decrease of power production by a good 3 %. At the end of this year another nuclear power plant (Philippsburg) will be decommissioned.

Renewable energies increased their contribution to the overall energy consumption in the first nine months of the year by 4 %. Wind power increased its contribution by 17 %. For hydropower there was an increase of 8 %. Solar energy only increased slightly by 1 % and biomass remained at the level of the previous year. The percentage of renewable energies in the overall primary energy consumption increased to 14.8 %. (AGEB/Si.)

In Germany macroeconomic energy efficiency has improved significantly. In 2018 the development – adjusted for temperature and inventory effects – registered an increase of 3.1 % compared with the previous year. In order to produce goods and services worth 1,000 €, in Germany only 4.5 GJ of primary energy is used, according to provisional estimates by the Working Group on Energy Balances (AG Energiebilanzen), Berlin and Bergheim. This is an exemplary value and corresponds to an improvement of over 40 % compared with 1990.

In 2018 efficiency gains in electricity generation, as well as in other sectors of energy conversion, had a significant influence on the development of macro-economic energy efficiency. In the area of electricity generation modern power plants with high efficiency, the departure from nuclear energy and the expansion of renewable energies, ensure significant energy improvements. Energy use per generated kilowatt hour of electricity fell from 7.30 MJ to 7.18 MJ, whereby the efficiency in electricity generation improved by 1.6 %. The average efficiency of all electricity generation plants exceeded the 50 % mark for the first time in 2018. For power consumption the efficiency was up 2 % compared with the previous year. The reasons are a falling number of electricity-intensive economic sectors, technical improvements to machines and systems, as well as the stock of durable consumer goods. The per capita electricity consumption fell by 0.8 % to 7,174 kWh compared with the previous year.

The energy efficiency of private households deteriorated by 1.6 % in 2018 taking into effect the weather conditions. Based on the living space, the fuel usage for the heat supply increased 1.8 % and electricity consumption rose by 0.8 %. In the industry/trade/services sector energy efficiency improved in 2018 by 7.5 %, whereby the mild weather had a significant impact here. In industry energy efficiency improved by 0.6 % compared with 2017.

Since 1990 macroeconomic energy efficiency in Germany has improved by over 40 %. On average over the last 28 years the efficiency gain is now 1.9 %/a. Since 1990 energy use has fallen by 9.8 MJ/kWh to approximately 7.2 MJ/kWh in electricity generation. Since 1990 the average efficiency of all electricity production plants has increased from 36.6 % to currently more than 50 %. Since 1991 energy efficiency in private households has improved by just under 29 % (temperature adjusted). However, the long-term average of a good 1 %/a is significantly behind the efficiency gains of other consumption sectors and indicates there is still efficiency potential in this sector. Since 1991 the industry/trade/services sector improved its energy efficiency by almost 2.5 %/a on average. In the entire sector energy use has dropped by almost half since 1991 for every 1,000 € value added. In the long-term average the industry records efficiency gains of just under 1.3 %/a compared to the initial value in 1991. The transport sector made efficiency improvements of roughly 1.5 %/a in the long-term average.

For the adjusted cross-sector final energy consumption – based on the real gross domestic product – there is an improvement of energy intensity of 1.9 % for 2018. From 1990 to 2018 an improvement of on average 1.6 %/a can be observed for this indicator. This development is well below the objective of the federal government, which aims at an improvement of energy productivity of 2.1 %/a for the period up to 2050.

The AG Energiebilanzen regularly calculates current macroeconomic and sector-based statistics on the energy efficiency trend in Germany. The systematic monitoring of energy efficiency is an important contribution to the monitoring of the energy revolution and is done on the basis of methods which have been developed on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy. (AGEB/Si.)

Germany’s energy consumption in 2018 fell to its lowest level since the early 1970s. With a total volume of 12,963 PJ or 442.3 Mtce, consumption was 3.5 % below the previous year’s level (Figure 1). As outlined by Arbeitsgemeinschaft Energiebilanzen (AG Energiebilanzen – Working Group on Energy Balances), Berlin/Germany, in its 2018 Annual Report published at the end of March, this development is due to significantly higher energy prices, the mild weather and a big increase in energy productivity. In contrast, the consumption-enhancing factors of economic development and population growth receded into the background. According to calculations by AG Energiebilanzen, energy consumption would have decreased by 2.4 % without the consumption-reducing impact of the mild weather.

When it comes to the development of consumption last year, one of the surprises was the sharp increase in macroeconomic energy productivity by 5.2 % (temperature-adjusted: + 4.0 %). This parameter for the efficient use of energy is calculated from the energy input per unit of economic performance. The long-term average value of this parameter is approximately 2 %.

The development of consumption, but also structural changes in the energy mix resulted in energy-related CO₂ emissions in Germany decreasing by about 34 Mt in 2018. This is a decline of 4.8 % compared to the previous year. Even when taking the temperature effect into account, the reduction is still significant at almost 4 % or about 27 Mt.

In 2018, mineral oil consumption in Germany decreased by a total of 5.0 % to 4,443 PJ (151.6 Mtce). Except for aviation fuels, all mineral oil products recorded a decline. Consumption of diesel fuel went down by 3.1 %, petrol recorded a decrease of 1.4 %. At 16 %, the decline in the sales of light fuel oil was exceptionally sharp. However, there are indications that consumers used up their own stocks first in light of the high prices, and that the actual consumption was higher than the sales in the trade sector. When it comes to aviation fuels, an increase of 2.3 % was recorded for consumption.

Natural gas consumption peaked at 3,071 PJ (104.8 Mtce) in 2018 and was therefore 1.6 % below the previous year’s value. The primary reason for this decline was the reduced use of natural gas for heating purposes because it was about 7.5 % warmer than in 2017 and 12.3 % milder than the long-term average. Towards the end of the year, the cutback in production in the chemical industry resulted in a declining demand for natural gas. In addition, less natural gas was used for power generation in 2018.

There was a sharp decline in the consumption of hard coal once again. Compared to 2017, consumption decreased by 11.2 % to 1,301 PJ (44.4 Mtce). It thus attained the lowest level in German post-war history. The use of coal for the generation of power and heat went down by 16 % to about 26 Mt. In 2018, almost 59 % of the hard coal volume in Germany was used for the generation of power and heat. The downward trend reflects the expansion of the use of renewable energy sources in power generation, which is increasingly replacing the electricity obtained from hard coal and led to a number of power station units being decommissioned in 2018. The use of hard coal in the steel industry decreased slightly by just under 2 % to 17.3 Mt in 2018. Industrial hard coal mining was discontinued in Germany at the end of 2018. In the future, Germany will satisfy its demand for hard coal and coke entirely through imports.

Lignite consumption peaked at 1,465 PJ (50.0 Mtce), meaning that consumption decreased for the sixth time in a row. The decline was 2.9 % due to the decreasing use of lignite for power generation. By 2020, the use of lignite for power generation will decrease by a total of 13 % compared to 2015 on account of the transfer of power stations to standby mode for backup purposes.

Nuclear energy recorded a slight decline of 0.4 %. All told, nuclear energy still contributed a share of 829 PJ (28.3 Mtce) to the energy balance in 2018.

Renewable energy benefited from the installation of additional capacity – specifically in photovoltaics – as well as from the extreme weather conditions experienced at times. The contribution made by renewable energy to total energy consumption increased by 1.1 % to 1,809 PJ (61.7 Mtce). The number of sunshine hours reached a record level, so the total use of solar energy increased by 16.5 %. Wind energy also experienced a record year. It increased its share in the energy balance by 5.6 %. In contrast, the extremely low level of precipitation caused hydropower (without pumped-storage reservoirs) to drop by almost one fifth. Biomass, whose share in the contribution of renewable energy is currently 53.6 %, recorded a decrease of 2 %, which was primarily due to the milder weather. Geothermal energy remained at the previous year’s level.

Renewable energy was able to expand its share in the energy mix for 2018. Biomass, solar energy, wind energy, hydropower, geothermal energy, and the biogenic share of waste accounted for a total of 14.0 % of the entire domestic energy consumption. The most important energy source continued to be mineral oil with a share of 34.3 %, followed by natural gas with 23.7 %. Hard coal accounted for a share of 10.0 % and lignite for 11.3 %. The contribution of nuclear energy accounted for 6.4 %.

Domestic energy production recorded a 2.8 % decline to 3,891 PJ (132.8 Mtce) in 2018. While renewable energy sources increased their contribution to domestic energy production by almost 1 %, all other energy sources recorded a decline. With a decrease of almost 30 %, the decline in domestic hard coal production, which was completely discontinued by the end of 2018, was particularly high. Domestic natural gas production decreased by 12.6 % and mineral oil accounted for a decline of around 7 %. Domestic lignite production went down by 2.9 %. Overall, energy production from domestic resources was able to cover 30 % of total consumption. Today, the most important domestic energy source is renewable energy with a proportion of 46.3 % (previous year: 44.6 %). This is followed by lignite at 38.4 % (previous year: 38.5 %). The shares of other energy sources are in the low single-digit range.

Germany has to meet around 70 % of its demand for energy through imports. Russia has become the most important supplier by far. In 2018, 36.3 % of German crude oil imports came from Russia. Together with the other states of the former Soviet Union (CIS), the share is actually almost 53 %. When it comes to hard coal, supplies from Russia account for a share of about 40 %. Due to the considerable increase in energy prices, the import bill for coal, natural gas and oil went up by approximately one fifth to almost 68 bn € in 2018 when compared to the previous year.

The detailed report on the development of primary energy consumption in 2018 is available at the AG Energie-bilanzen website: www.ag-energiebilanzen.de. (AG Energiebilanzen)/Si.)