BERLIN/STUTTGART (dpa-AFX) - New half-year record for electricity generation from renewable energies: Electricity from wind, sunlight, biomass and hydropower covered around 58 percent of electricity consumption in Germany in the first half of 2024.

This is according to projections by the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), which were made available to dpa on Monday.

In the first half of 2023, the share of renewable energies was still 52 percent. Gross domestic electricity consumption totaled 261 billion kilowatt hours and was therefore 0.3 percent below the previous year's figure.

More than half from renewables

In the first half of the year, renewable energies covered more than half of monthly electricity consumption each month, emphasized the BDEW. Since April, they have had a monthly share of 59 percent.

"Photovoltaic systems in particular produced a total of 37 billion kilowatt hours, significantly more electricity than in the previous year - also thanks to the record expansion in 2023," the energy industry association noted.

In June 2024, PV systems generated more than 10 billion kilowatt hours of electricity within one month for the very first time. Hydropower also made an above-average contribution to electricity generation with 12 billion kilowatt hours of electricity.

The majority comes from onshore wind turbines

Of the 58 percent, 24 percentage points came from onshore wind power, 14 percentage points from photovoltaics, 9 percentage points from biomass, 5 percentage points from hydropower, 5 percentage points from offshore wind power and 1 percentage point from electricity generation from municipal waste.

Kerstin Andreae, Chairwoman of the BDEW Executive Board, described the figures as a "reward for the persistent expansion of wind energy and photovoltaics in recent years".

Gas-fired power plants necessary as plan B

The construction of hydrogen-capable gas-fired power plants is now important. "Because despite the pleasing figures: Electricity generation from wind and solar is not constant. We need secure power for system services and times when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing," said Andreae.

The record shows that a secure and greenhouse gas-neutral power supply based on almost 100 percent renewable energies, including hydrogen, is achievable by 2035, explained ZSW Board Member Frithjof Staiß. This provides a stable foundation for the industry on its path to climate-neutral production./tob/DP/zb