UK and Germany: cleanest electricity on record in 2024 / Photo: © AFP/File. Photo with offshore wind power turbines
By AFP - Agence France Presse
UK and Germany to have cleanest electricity on record by 2024
Britain and Germany produced the cleanest electricity on record last year, with renewable energy reaching record levels, according to figures released on Thursday.
According to the data, renewable energy, such as wind and solar, accounted for 59% of production in Germany, while in Britain, it was 45%.
In Germany, where 2024 marked the first year without nuclear power, the share of renewable energy increased from 56% the previous year to 59%, the country's energy regulator said in a statement.
Wind power retained its place as the country's main electricity producer, with 31.9% of the total, while coal's share continued to decline to less than 23%, compared to 26% in 2023, the body said.
The share of natural gas increased to 13.2%, up from 8.6%.
Germany aims for renewables to account for 80% of its energy supply by 2030 and for coal to be phased out by 2035.
Overall, Germany produced 431.7 TWh of electricity in 2024, a decrease of 4.2% compared to the previous year.
Imports increased to 13.8%, while exports fell to 10%.
- No more coal -
In Britain, oil, gas, and coal together produced 29% of the country's electricity in 2024, while renewables accounted for 45%, according to a report published on Thursday by climate and energy website Carbon Brief.
Britain's last coal-fired power station was closed in October, making the country the first G7 member to end its dependence on fossil fuels for electricity production.
In November, the Labour government followed this up with plans to ban new coal mines.
Carbon Brief added that nuclear power was used to produce 13% of Britain's electricity last year. A total of 11% of Britain's electricity was imported.
Gas-fired power stations remained Britain's largest source of electricity in 2024, according to the analysis.
However, Carbon Brief predicted that the country's wind power was likely to generate more electricity than gas this year.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government has pledged to cut the UK's greenhouse gas emissions by 81% on 1990 levels by 2035 as part of plans to reach net zero by 2050.
Britain has spearheaded a push for low-carbon energy also as part of its strategy to combat sky-high electricity and gas bills, which skyrocketed after top producer Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022 and triggered a cost-of-living crisis.
Energy bills remain high in Britain as the country faces freezing temperatures at the start of the year.
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