Country insight – Germany

Fast facts

At a glance

• Primary energy consumption in ‎Germany declined by 0.9 EJ ‎(-7.5%). This was the third ‎consecutive annual decline but the ‎largest in more than a decade. The ‎rate of decline last year also far ‎exceeded the 10-year annual ‎average of -0.1%.  ‎

• Oil consumption declined by 225 ‎Kb/d (-9.9%,) reflecting the decline ‎in mobility due to Covid ‎restrictions throughout the year.‎

• Gas demand declined by 2.1 bcm ‎‎(-2.7%) and coal declined 0.4 EJ ‎(-18%). The large contraction in ‎coal was supported by its falling ‎share in power generation. This ‎squeeze on coal in power ‎generation reflected strong growth ‎in wind and solar and declining ‎overall electricity demand.‎

• The share of electricity generated ‎from coal fell to 24% compared to ‎‎43% just over 10 years ago. The ‎share of gas in power generation ‎increased 1 percentage point to ‎‎16% last year. ‎

• Wind and solar output increased ‎by 3.4% and 8.4%, respectively. ‎These rates are below the global ‎average, reflecting the relatively ‎mature status of the German ‎market. Renewables made up ‎‎18% of primary energy and 41% ‎of power generation. ‎

• Nuclear output continued to fall, ‎declining 0.1 EJ in 2020, the same ‎rate as the annual average over ‎the previous decade.‎

• Carbon emissions declined by 77 ‎Mt (-11%) while Germany’s ‎carbon intensity (carbon emissions ‎per unit GDP) declined by 6.4%, ‎well ahead of the global average ‎decline of 2.9%. This above ‎average decline occurred even ‎though Germany’s carbon intensity ‎is already ~40% below the global ‎average level.‎

• Similarly, Germany’s overall ‎energy intensity (the amount of ‎energy required per unit of GDP) ‎declined by 2.2% in 2020, more ‎than double the global average ‎rate of improvement of -1.0%.