Germany is likely to achieve its binding EU renewable target for 2020, according to the latest figures from the country’s federal environment agency.
Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier said the EU renewable target of 18% in 2020 is “within reach”.
The share of renewable energy in Germany’s total gross final energy consumption increased to around 17.1% in 2019, from 16.5% in 2018.
Altmaier said: “We now have to work to ensure that we achieve the goals sustainably and the further expand the share of renewable energy.
“The European Green Deal opens economic opportunities. We have to take advantage of these.”
The increase in the share in last year is mainly due to increasing demand for renewable energy in the electricity mix, which rose to 42.1%, followed by the heating sector, which reached 14.5%.
The share of renewables in the transport sector remained the same last year at 5.6%.
In contrast, gross final energy consumption remained roughly constant in 2019, with a slight decrease in energy consumption among Germany’s industrial users balanced out by a small increase in trading, services and households.