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German renewable energy expands

Posted: 04/02/2007

German electricity generation from renewable energy sources rose by 15 percent last year to 73.2 billion kilowatt hours (kWh), industry association VDEW said recently. Within Germany's total power output in 2006, which was up from 63.5 billion kWh in 2005, renewables accounted for an 11.9 percent share compared with 10 percent a year earlier, VDEW said in a press release.

"Helped by state subsidies for renewables, Germany has nearly reached the target of 12.5 percent set by the European Union (for member states) for the year 2012," VDEW's managing director, Eberhard Meller, said. Meller also said that the subsidising programme should be studied for its competitiveness and such schemes should be harmonised across Europe.

German power customers had paid more than three billion euros (US$3.89 billion) for the sector, which operates on mandatory, above-market fees for green power that are collected from customers.

*Out of the 2006 renewable production total, wind power accounted for 30.5 billion kWh compared with 27.2 billion produced in 2005.

*Hydroelectric power supplied 21.6 billion of all electrcity, more than the 20.8 billion recorded in 2005.

*Biomass-derived power production amounted to 15.5 billion kWh, up from 11.2 billion in 2005, while waste-derived power rose to 4.6 billion kWh from 3.0 billion previously.

*German solar power production amounted to 2 billion kWh, up from 1.3 billion in 2005.

Reuters  
 

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