Increase in coal usage for power production reoccurred

Increase in coal's contribution to power generation observed once more - Electricity generation via coal increments once more

In the first half of 2025, Germany witnessed significant shifts in its electricity production and consumption patterns. The total amount of electricity produced in the country grew by 10.1 percent to 93.2 billion kilowatt-hours, according to recent reports.

Photovoltaics played a significant role in this growth, with a 27.9 percent increase in production. As a result, photovoltaics accounted for 17.8 percent of Germany's electricity production in the first half of the year.

Wind power, however, saw a decline of 18.1 percent, with wind power production decreasing to 60.2 billion kilowatt-hours. Despite this, wind power maintained its position as the most important energy source, with a share of 27.2 percent in total power production. Weak wind conditions and an increase in solar power production may have contributed to the decline in renewable energy's share in Germany's power production.

Gas also saw an increase in its share of power production, reaching 16.2 percent in the first half of this year. More electricity was produced from coal in Germany in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. The share of coal in total power production increased to 22.7 percent.

The company operating the most coal-fired power plants in Germany is RWE, which manages major plants including the Neurath power station. Compared to the first half of the previous year, the power output of these plants has decreased, consistent with Germany's energy transition policies and coal phase-out agreements effective by 2030.

Renewable energies, including wind and solar, decreased by the same amount as the electricity growth, accounting for 57.8 percent of total power production in Germany in the first half of this year. No specific information was provided about the reasons for this decline in renewable energy's share.

In total, 220.9 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity were generated and fed into the grid in Germany in the first half of the year, an increase of 0.3 percent compared to the previous year. This growth was partially offset by an increase in electricity imports, with 8.3 billion kilowatt-hours more being imported than exported. As a result, 229.2 billion kilowatt-hours were available and demanded in Germany in the first half of the year, an increase of 0.4 percent.

No specific information was provided about the reasons for the increase in electricity imports or the reasons for the increase in electricity production from gas and coal. Similarly, no specific information was provided about the reasons for the increase in electricity exports.

According to legal requirements, the share of renewable energies in Germany's power production should increase to 80 percent by 2030. This ambitious target will require continued growth in renewable energy production and a reduction in the reliance on conventional energy sources.