Warmer weather enables continuning drop in Germany’s energy demand

Primary energy consumption in Germany has continued to decrease in the first half of 2024 with the country consuming 3.4 percent less than the same period the previous year, according to the energy industry and research initiative AGEB. About half of the drop in demand is due to warmer weather, which reduces the need for heating: in four out of the six months was above the long-term average. However, the continuing weak performance of Germany’s economy also contributed to decreasing energy consumption, AGEB added. Demand for oil increased slightly between January and the end of June, partly due to a seven percent increase in consumption of aeroplane fuel, while demand for diesel and gasoline both decreased. Natural gas use went up 0.7 percent in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2023, partly due to higher use by industry. Hard coal and lignite use both fell by 18.7 percent, mostly due to lower demand for electricity production.

Renewable power sources increased their share in the energy system by one percent compared to the previous year, mostly due to higher output by wind, solar and hydropower plants. At the same time, electricity production by renewables grew by seven percent. Due to higher operational costs and the increasing availability of clean alternatives, coal power has seen the greatest drop in consumption in recent years. This continued also after the shutdown of Germany's last three nuclear power plants in April 2023.

Thanks to the changes in the structure of the country’s energy system, the output of carbon emissions is estimated to be about 17 million tonnes lower in the first half of this year than during the same period in 2023. A trend of falling energy demand continued in the second quarter of 2024. This had commenced with the energy crisis and partly was sustained by sluggish economic output in the country.