Renewables: historic overtaking of nuclear and conventional coal in Germany

In 2011 in Germany the energy produced from renewable sources exceeded both that from nuclear power and that produced from conventional coal. A historic overtaking that confirms the German state's decision to definitively abandon the atom by 2022.

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

In 2011 in Germany the energy produced from renewable sources has exceeded both that coming from nuclear than that produced by carbon conventional. A historic overtaking that confirms the German state's decision to definitively abandon the atom by 2022.

This was revealed by the report of the BDEW (Bundersverband der Energie und Wasserwirtschaft) - in practice the association of the German electricity industry - published in recent days in which it is drawn up on the basis of forecast data for 2011 (downloadable in the full version in German here) .

From the dossier, complete with graphs, it emerges as the share of renewables has reached 19,90% of the national energy requirement, acquiring 3,5 percentage points compared to 2010 (16,4%), in practice a fifth of the total electricity production, thus exceeding the nuclear (dropped from 22,4% to 17,7% as a result of the closure of 8 reactors last March) and the conventional coal (stopped at 18,7%). Gas also drops very slightly (from 13,8 to 13,6%). Clean energy was practically the second largest source of electricity in Germany.

What is the first? Petrolio you will answer, but no, because it is still a solid fossil fuel or brown coal, a particular type of coal of which Germany is the first producer in the world which rises from 23,2 to 24,6% of the national requirement.

Among the renewable sources is theAeolian which is in first position with a production of 7,6% of total consumption, followed by biomass (5,2%) and solar energy which stands at a good 3,2%.

And this is just the beginning because the dossier also includes the long-term forecasts that see renewables cover more than 80% of the national demand starting from 2050. A challenge that will require major interventions to upgrade the electricity grids, such as he also recalled Bdew's Hildegard Muller, but one that is worth a look.

Simona Falasca