Offshore wind is the fastest growing renewable energy source in Germany, increasing output by 31% in the first three quarters of this year, compared with the same period of 2018.
The sector contributed nearly 17 billion kilowatt-hours to power generation in the period, up from 12.9 billion kWh last year, according to analysis by the Federal Association of Energy and Water Industries (ZSW) and Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Wurttemberg (BDEW).
Offshore’s growth outpaced onshore wind, photovoltaics and biomass, which remain the strongest contributors to Germany’s renewable energy stocks, providing 72 billion kWh, 41 billion kWh and 33 billion kWh, respectively.
This compares with 61.4 billion kWh for onshore wind, 39.2 billion kWh for solar and 33.4 billion kWh for biomass in the period last year.
Renewable energy accounted for 42.9% of Germany’s gross electricity consumption in the first nine months of 2019, which is an increase of almost five percentage points on last year, when it accounted for 38.1%.
In March, clean power’s contribution peaked at 52% due to “extremely strong wind”, according to ZSW and BDEW.