Germany and Portugal produced record volumes of electricity from “green” sources

The share of renewable sources in Germany’s electricity production in 2023 was 55%, marking the first year when this figure exceeded 50%.

The Federal Network Agency of Germany announced this.

Germany produced 55% of its electricity from renewable sources

Germany’s share of electricity generated from renewable energy sources increased to 55% in 2023, up from 48.42% in 2022.

Wind power plants account for the largest production of “green” electricity; onshore and offshore wind farms produced 31.1% of energy in total. Solar power plants accounted for 12.1%, biomass accounted for 8.4%, and hydropower and other renewable sources accounted for the remaining 3.4%.

In absolute terms, the total electricity production from renewable sources in Germany in 2023 amounted to 251.2 TWh, which is about 7.5% higher than in the previous year, which amounted to 233.7 TWh.

At the same time, generation from traditional energy sources in 2023 amounted to 197.2 TWh, which is 24% less than a year earlier. However, while the use of coal and lignite has fallen significantly, natural gas, on the contrary, has increased by more than 31%.

At the same time, the total electricity production in Germany fell by more than 9% over the year and the total load on the grid by more than 5%.

In 2020, the share of renewable energy in Germany exceeded 50% for the first time in the first half of the year.

Portugal produced a record volume of “green” electricity

In 2023, Portugal also produced a record volume of electricity from environmentally friendly sources, which accounted for 61% of total energy consumption. The national grid operator of Portugal, REN, reported this.

Wind farms generated 25% of the electricity consumed in Portugal in 2023, making them the largest share of renewable energy sources. Hydropower accounted for 23%, solar energy for 7%, and biomass for another 6%.

At the same time, electricity production from water sources in Portugal grew at the highest rate last year—by 70%—due to the recovery from the droughts of 2022. Solar electricity increased by 43% due to increased investment in solar panels.

So, Europe becomes less dependent on gas and oil imports for its energy.