Renewables supplied 59 percent of electricity demand in 2024

06.01.2025

Source: E & M powernews

The Federal Network Agency published the electricity market data for 2024 at the beginning of the year. According to the data, electricity consumption fell by four percent and renewables supplied 59 percent.

At the beginning of the year, the Federal Network Agency presented a balance sheet for the 2024 electricity market. According to this, 431.7 billion kWh of electricity were generated in the past year. This corresponds to a decrease of 4.2 percent compared to the previous year (450.5 billion kWh).

Renewable energy sources accounted for 254.9 billion kWh or 59.0% of total generation. In the previous year, the share was 56.0 percent. Exported electricity volumes are also included in total generation. "Renewable energies are therefore the most important source of energy for the electricity supply in Germany over the year," said the authority.

Wind power plants contributed the highest share of all energy sources to total generation. Offshore wind accounted for a total of 25.7 billion kWh (2023: 23.5 billion kWh) and onshore wind for 111.9 billion kWh (2023: 118.8 billion kWh). Photovoltaic systems fed in 63.3 billion kWh (2023: 55.7 billion kWh) and 36.0 billion kWh came from biomass (2023: 37.8 billion kWh).

Coal-fired power generation on the decline

In addition to above-average hours of sunshine in summer, the expansion of installed capacity also contributed to photovoltaics recording the strongest increase. Generation from conventional energy sources totaled 176.8 billion kWh, which corresponds to a year-on-year decline of 10.9%.

Generation from hard coal was 31.2% lower and that from lignite 8.8% lower than in 2023. The share of electricity generation from natural gas rose by 8.6% to 56.9 billion kWh. The share of natural gas in total generation rose slightly to 13.2% (2023: 11.6%).

The average wholesale electricity price on the day-ahead market last year was €78.51/MWh. Compared to €95.18/MWh in 2023, this corresponds to a decrease of 17.5%. Negative wholesale prices occurred in 457 out of 8,784 hours. In the previous year, this figure was 301 out of 8,760 hours. By contrast, very high prices occurred much less frequently: in 2023, prices of more than EUR 100/MWh occurred in 4,106 of 8,760 hours, in 2024 only in 2,296 of 8,784 hours (as 2024 was a leap year, the total hours differ).

Germany imported more electricity

In commercial foreign trade, Germany imported a total of 67.0 billion kWh (2023: 54.3 billion kWh) and exported 35.1 billion kWh (2023: 39.0 billion kWh). Compared to the previous year, imports increased by around 23.2% and exports fell by 10.1%.

Germany has sufficient electricity generation capacity. Electricity is generally imported when domestic production would be more expensive. Supply and demand form a pan-European interplay. Within the European network, electricity is generated where it is cheapest. Germany and the other European countries can thus mutually benefit from the most favorable generation conditions.

The Federal Network Agency's information platform for electricity and gas market data is available on the Internet.

Author: Susanne Harmsen