Germany 2016: Expanding renewables, stagnating decarbonisation

nu Clear News, Mar 16 . “……….Despite some short-term market and industry disruptions, the Energiewende policy has been largely successful in achieving its stated goals, and public support remains strong. As reported in a January 2016 by Agora Energiewende, a Berlin-based energy think tank from 2012 to 2015, public sentiment in Germany has been strongly supportive of the Energiewende, with 90% saying it is important or very important.

Germany added more renewable energy than ever before in 2015 – 32TWh. While solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity is slowing (only about 1.5 GW were installed last year), wind experienced record growth of 50% year over year. The big growth by percentage was in offshore wind, where power generation jumped from just 1.4 TWh in 2014 to above 8.1 TWh in 2015 as the first of several large “windparks” came online. Throughout 2015 dozens of similar large windfarms were under construction in the North Sea, and even more capacity will come online throughout 2016. The current Government wants the renewable share to reach 40-45% by 2025 and between 55-60% by 2035.

Today renewables are on target to exceed the first milestone, so amendments to the renewable energy laws are being introduced which will rein in onshore wind and solar. As more offshore wind comes online in 2016, the entire energy sector is being re-evaluated. Unlike solar and onshore wind which is mostly owned by small companies and communities or co-operatives, offshore wind is being developed by large companies – probably the same fossil fuel companies that originally bet against renewables – the same ones now exporting excess coal-fired electricity abroad.

This means the rate of renewable growth is likely to be cut by two-thirds over the next decade, and taking a leaf out of David Cameron’s book, feed-in tariffs will be replaced by auctions next year. Merkel’s Government seems to be hoping that a large chunk of the difference between today’s 30% renewable share and the 2025 40-45% target will be met by large offshore wind farms – German citizens are being shut out of future growth.

Far from going really badly, as Lord Howell suggests, the transition to renewables in Germany has been going too well. The prospect of more and more communities declaring energy independence is too much for the big energy companies to endure. They are now moving to consolidate their influence on the future direction of the Energiewende. They will fight to stop a renewable target of 80% for 2050 being implemented and they will fight to be allowed to continue exporting coal-fired electricity despite German commitments to tackling climate change. (4) References….. http://www.no2nuclearpower.org.uk/nuclearnews/NuClearNewsNo83.pdf

March 9, 2016 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | ENERGY, Germany, renewable

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