“Natural gas on the rise – power generation from coal and nuclear decreases”

Because of comparably low winds in 2016, renewable power generation rose only slightly by 4.1 terawatt hours (TWh) compared to 2015, accounting for a share of 30 percent, according to preliminary figures by the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW). Offshore wind generation rose significantly by 57 percent (to 13 billion kilowatt hours), while onshore wind and solar PV decreased (-6 and -1 percent, respectively) compared to the previous year. Power generation from natural gas has also increased significantly by 16.5 TWh (a 12 percent share), while coal (-12.2 TWh to a 40 percent share) and nuclear energy (-6.9 TWh to a 13 percent share) decreased. “The decreased generation from coal and nuclear energy was therefore primarily balanced out by additional electricity production from natural gas. This shows clearly that natural gas is an indispensable part of the future energy system,” Stefan Kapferer, head of utilities lobby BDEW, said at a press conference in Berlin.
According to BDEW estimates, the share of renewables in power consumption will amount to 32 percent in 2016 compared to 31.5 percent in 2015.

Find the BDEW press release on the power production mix 2016 here and the BDEW press release on the share of renewables in power consumption here.