The Energy Blog of RWE

commercial kettles would together generate as much thermal energy as Berlin’s new power-to-heat system. Electricity is used to heat the water contained in three electrode boilers, each with a capacity of 22,000 litres, to 130 degrees – thus converting power into thermal energy. In this way, power-to-heat technology can harness excess renewable electricity to make district heating more climate-friendly....

percent of gross final energy consumption in the EU was accounted for by renewable energy, as shown by the latest figures published by the statistical office of the European Union, Eurostat. This means that the proportion of gross final energy consumption (i.e. not only electricity, but also heat and fuel!) covered by renewables has increased yet again, to more than twice that of 2004, the first year for which... data was recorded. However, figures of each EU country vary greatly. Sweden is striding ahead with a share of 54.6 percent. Germany’s positioning, on the other hand, is middle-of-the-road, whilst the Netherlands is tailing in last place with a share of only 7.4 percent.

trillion US dollars (USD), about 44.7 trillion euros, by 2050 – according to a study by US investment bank Morgan Stanley, this will be the amount of global cash injection needed for the restructuring of the energy sector. Only then will it be possible to reach net zero carbon by the middle of the century, or in other words prevent the greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere from rising. In the “Decarbonisat...ion: The Race to Net Zero Emissions” report, economists put this incomprehensibly large number into perspective. Although 50 trillion USD is equivalent to the combined gross domestic products of the USA, China, the eurozone and the UK in 2018, when spread out over 30 years, it would in fact simply equate to two percent of the world’s GDP. And – even more importantly – doing nothing and thus failing to meet the two-degree target could result in much higher costs.

percent – that is how much greenhouse gas emissions decreased in Germany last year, as shown by the latest figures from the German Environment Agency. In 2019, greenhouse gas emissions fell by 54 million tonnes to 805 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. According to Germany’s Environment Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD), this represented the largest drop in emissions in the last 30 years, with the exc...eption of the global crisis in 2009. Reasons for this decline include peak prices for emission allowances in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, the low price of gas, as well as wind and solar expansion and the first coal-fired power plant unit decommissionings. Renewables grew to account for 42 percent of the electricity sector. In other industries, however, things were not quite as rosy. In the heating sector, for example, renewables’ share increased only marginally to 14.5 percent from 14.3, whilst in the transport sector, the proportion of renewables was unchanged at 5.6 percent.

percent – that is how much global wind capacity increased last year compared to 2018. A wind of change is, once again, in the air. This positive development is backed by new wind energy statistics published by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC). With 60.4 gigawatts of newly installed capacity, 2019 went on record as the second-best year for new installations worldwide in the history of wind power. 2015... was the only year in which more capacity was connected to the grid. These results rest on several pillars of success. More new wind turbines were installed both on land and at sea. Offshore wind power took a particularly impressive stride forward with an increase of 72 percent (or 6.1 GW). 2019 broke all previous records in this area.

percent – that is how much the greenhouse gas emissions of all participants in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) decreased in 2019 versus the previous year, according to the latest figures published by the European Commission. Power plants, energy-intensive industries and aviation are all subject to the EU ETS. The transition from coal to renewable energy and gas has therefor...e led to a 15 percent reduction in emissions from power production. Emissions from industry decreased by two percent, while the aviation sector reported an increase of 1 percent. What’s more, a study by British think tank Ember shows that the decline in coal-fired electricity generation prompted a decrease in global emissions in the energy supply sector.

days in a row, renewables in the USA produced more electricity than coal-fired power plants. Sun and wind are slowly but surely overtaking coal in power generation. This trend is confirmed by an analysis of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.... The series ran from 25 March to 3 May. Comparing these figures with those of the previous year, the development is all the more remarkable: in the whole of 2019 there were only 38 days in which regenerative energy sources were ahead of coal in power generation. According to IEEFA, there are many reasons for the decline in coal-fired power generation: warm weather, low gas prices and a sharp drop in demand for electricity – mainly due to the massive corona output restrictions.

Grams of CO2 were emitted in 2018 for the production of one kilowatt hour of electricity in the EU. This means that the so-called emission intensity, i.e. the amount of carbon released for each kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity generated, is much lower in the EU than in other regions: In the USA it was 400 grams per kWh, in Japan more than 500 and about 600 to 700 grams in China and India. The IEA cites the expansion of wind power as the main reason for the lower emission intensity. This is ...stated in the International Energy Agency (IEA) report on the European Union’s energy policy. Wind power has rapidly become the EU’s largest renewable energy source, mainly driven by offshore wind farms.

percent less carbon were emitted by Germany in the first half of 2020 compared to the same period last year. This is substantiated by current estimates of energy market research group AG Energiebilanzen. The reason for this development is that energy consumption has fallen dramatically overall as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With electricity demand at a low, conventional power stations in... particular produced less electricity. On top of that, an increasing number of lignite-fired power plant units was placed on standby to ensure security of supply. Accordingly, lignite usage dropped by more than a third (35.5 percent), whilst hard coal consumption decreased by almost a quarter. Although power generation  relied on natural gas more heavily, overall consumption was down almost five percent due to the milder weather in the first two months of the year combined with lower consumption across various industry sectors.

years is the average age of a heating system in dwellings. This is the result of a study by energy service provider Ista and the Technical University Dortmund, which examined 74,000 residential buildings in Germany. Most of these heating systems are still heated with oil and gas and cause greenhouse gas emissions. The problem: energy-related refurbishment is not picking up sufficient momentum and the switch to renewable energies is making little headway. Emissions in the buildings sector have... even risen slightly again recently. So there is still a great deal of potential for savings in the heat supply sector. Especially, if you consider that about half of the energy used in Germany is used to heat buildings and generate heat for industrial processes.

percent more patents have recently been registered in battery and power storage technology. This is four times faster than the average of all other technical fields. Hence: things are happening in this area that are crucial for the energy transition. The authors of a new study by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the European Patent Office (EPA) see EV-manufacturers as drivers of innovation, because electric... speedsters need powerful batteries. But electricity storage devices are also becoming increasingly important for grid stability. Experts have calculated that a storage capacity of 10,000 gigawatt hours will be needed worldwide by 2040 to achieve the Paris climate targets.

million people worked in the renewables sector in 2019. This is according to the most recent study entitled ‘Renewable Energy and Jobs – Annual Review 2020’ by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). This branch of industry is thus increasingly driving employment, providing for steady rises in job numbers in the last few years. In 2012, the sector’s workforce was... just below the 7.3 million mark, translating into 57 percent growth. IRENA states that the lion’s share of the jobs directly and indirectly associated with the renewables sector is distributed among bimoass, hydro, wind and solar power, citing solar technology as recording an especially impressive jump.

Based on expert estimates, this is the number of megawatts (MW) of wind turbine capacity that was installed in Germany in 2020. Onshore wind energy expansion rose compared to 2019 (1,078 MW) but this growth was only half as much as envisaged by the government. Figures published by wind power agency Fachagentur Wind clearly show that onshore wind continues to harbour substantial potential for expansion. As before, build-out strongly concentrates on the north of the country. Most of the wind tu...rbines were commissioned between the first and third quarters in North Rhine-Westphalia (45), Brandenburg (41) and Lower Saxony 32). To close on a positive note, the repowering rate reached 27 percent, the highest in six years.

terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity annually – this is how much onshore wind turbines in Germany could be generating by 2030, if state-of-the-art turbines were installed at sites already earmarked for construction. This was the conclusion of a report titled “Full load hours for onshore wind turbines – development, influences, effects” commissioned by the German Wind Energy Ass...ociation (BWE) and the NRW Renewable Energy Association (LEE NRW). By way of comparison: electricity consumption in Germany is currently at a solid 530 TWh. A figure which is expected to only keep on growing. Dr. Dennis Kruse, WindGuard Managing Director and co-author of the report, explains the advantage offered by state-of-the-art wind turbines as follows: “State-of-the-art wind turbines achieve significantly higher full load hours than previously assumed. This means the wind can be harvested with ever-increasing efficiency and deliver more power.”

percent – this is the share of global greenhouse gasses that were emitted during the production of cement in 2018. The basic problem here is the underlying chemical reaction. Cement clinker, the main ingredient in cement, is made using calcium carbonate. Carbon dioxide is the inevitable by-product of this process, leading to the production of 60 per cent of the sector’s emissions today. In other words: avoiding the bulk of CO₂ emissions by running the plants on renewable energy... isn’t an option. Nevertheless, the biggest manufacturers are trying to identify innovative ways to reduce emissions. A pilot plant for the production of kerosene is putting one such approach to the test. The necessary carbon is to be supplied by the local cement works. en:former has taken a closer look at a selection of pilot projects.

jobs could be created in the global offshore wind industry by 2030. This is according to a study by the independent energy research and business intelligence company Rystad Energy. Some 297,000 jobs are currently directly or indirectly associated with the sector, meaning that the need for labour in offshore wind could triple within ten years. At present, 93 percent of the jobs are in constru...ction and engineering. Most of the skilled labour will be dedicated to the manufacture of turbines and foundations, the installation of wind turbines, and planning offshore wind farms in 2030 as well. Moreover, operation and maintenance will display disproportionately strong growth, while gaining significance. The study’s authors based their findings on offshore expansion plans worldwide.

million jobs could be created in Europe’s hydrogen economy by 2030, according to a report by strategy consulting firm Oliver Wyman, owing to enormous growth potential in the areas of mechanical and plant engineering. Companies specialising in hydrogen technology could benefit from investment in equipment amounting to 350 billion euros in Europe alone by 2030. Hundreds of thousands of skilled... workers will be needed in the development, production, installation, repair and maintenance of hydrogen technologies, and many of these jobs could be created in Germany, the analysis suggests.

gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity will be built off the coast of Taiwan between 2026 and 2035, according to government plans. An average addition of 1.5 GW a year would make the country one of the largest offshore wind markets in the Asian-Pacific region. Coal-fired generation, which still dominates the power mix, is to be gradually reduced and renewables expanded. Clearly defined goals, m...arket transparency, electricity market reform, and easy financing already make the densely-populated island nation one of the most attractive markets in Asia.

percent more solar power was generated worldwide last year than in 2019. While solar and wind energy forged ahead, demand for coal, gas and oil all dropped, according to the annual “Statistical Review of World Energy” published by UK oil major BP. The gains in renewable energy are impressive, especially since global primary energy consumption fell by 4.5 percent – more than at ...the end of World War II, owing to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Renewable energy technologies were the only exceptions to the decline, allowing them to increase further their share of primary energy consumption. Despite coronavirus-related restrictions, 27 gigawatts of solar energy and 117 gigawatts of new wind energy were connected to the grid in 2020. Carbon emissions overall were 2.1 gigatons lower in 2020 than in 2019, the BP data shows.

gigawatts (GW) – that is the volume of green Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) concluded worldwide in 2020, according to a recent report by the research and analysis platform BloombergNEF (BNEF). The report shows green PPAs struck between renewable power generators and large electricity consumers are becoming an increasingly important driver of new renewable energy investment. Sinc...e 2016, the volume of contracts concluded has been rising steadily and has now increased almost six-fold. For companies and institutions, green PPAs offer an opportunity to reduce their CO2 emissions and achieve the climate targets they have set themselves. Among the largest buyers of green power are Amazon, Google and Facebook. For renewable energy developers, the PPAs provide revenue certainty, allowing them to finance and develop new renewable power generation.

billion US dollars were spent on renewable energy in the fist six months of 2021. This is 1.8 percent more than in the first half of 2020 and a record for the period from January to June although the world is yet to recover from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. These impressive numbers come from the renewable energy investment tracker of consulting firm BNEF. The study shows that e...xpenditure on solar farms totalled 78.9 billion dollars (all-time high), with the outlay on wind farms amounting to some 58 billion dollars. One highlight during this timeline is the completion of the 1.4 gigawatt Sofia offshore wind farm owned by RWE Renewables. At 2.9 million dollars per megawatt (MW) of installed capacity, Sofia ranks among the lowest-cost projects of its kind in the United Kingdom.

Gigawatt (GW) of new offshore wind capacity was installed worldwide in 2020. This marks the second-best year for the offshore wind industry after 2019 (6.2 GW), despite the challenging circumstances due to the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the latest Global Offshore Wind Report 2021, which was published by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), capacity addition will increase significantly in ...the following years. GWEC predicts that as more countries enter the sector, annual installations worldwide could reach 25 GW by 2025 and possibly 40 GW by 2030. Future growth markets include the USA, Taiwan or Japan among others.

million people could be working in the solar industry in the European Union in 2030, almost treble the 357.000 jobs (full-time equivalents) counted in 2020 in the 27 EU member states. These impressive figures are presented in the current “EU Solar Jobs Report 2021” by the organization SolarPower Europe. The organisation’s recent report analyses the development of the solar sector’s labor market in recent years and introduces different scenarios for the industry’s... future. And the forecast is definitely sunny: all point to rapid employment growth in the solar sector.

kilometers could be the length of a subsea power link planned between Morocco and the UK. If constructed, it would by far be the world’s longest high-voltage direct current cable. The current record is held by the 724-kilometre North Sea Link between Norway and the UK. With a total capacity of 3,6 gigawatts (GW), wind and solar power would flow from North Africa to the United Kingdom. Morocco ha...s excellent conditions for green power generation, due to high levels of solar radiation and trade winds, which blow very constantly throughout the year, complimenting the seasonality of the UK’s own renewable resources.

percent more solar PV systems were installed in the European Union in 2021 than a year before, growing by 25.9 gigawatts (GW) to 164.9 GW. Germany recorded the biggest aggregate rise of 5.3 GW, with the Netherlands registering the highest per-capita build-out figure of 765 watts. These numbers were published by SolarPower Europe in its latest market report.

meters below Vienna a source of hot water has been identified, known as the ‘Aderklaaer conglomerate’. The temperature of the water is about 100 degrees Celsius. Experts estimate the source could generate 120 MW of thermal energy to provide sustainable district heating for the houses and apartments of Austria’s capital city.

percent of Switzerland’s electricity was already generated from hydropower in 2020, a quota that could rise going forward. The Nant de Drance pumped-storage power station is in its final test phase. It will be able to produce huge volumes of electricity within a few minutes from being put online. The reservoir holds enough water for 20 full load hours, corresponding to an electric output of 900 megawatts. Due to its unique topography, the Alpine republic is predestined for hydroelectric pow...er plants and already acts as an electricity store to meet both domestic needs and those of neighbouring countries. en:former has taken a deep dive into this unique energy system.

percent – is the potential share of global electricity consumption accounted for by the information and telecommunications (ICT) sector by 2030, according to a study by Bitkom, Germany’s digital association. In other words, just under a quarter of the electricity required worldwide will – to put it simply – be needed for digitisation. In 2020, the share was just around three per cent. The sector thus looks set to be one of the largest drivers of electricity demand in coming ye...ars, thanks primarily to ever-larger data centres. En:former takes a look at how data centres’ energy requirements, performance and greenhouse gas emissions have evolved in recent years (Link in German).

gigawatts of offshore wind capacity will be commissioned in Europe in 2022 – more than ever in a single year. Based on figures published by Rystad Energy, an independent energy analysis and consulting firm, the European offshore wind industry is on track to hit an all-time high in new installations. The current record dates back to 2019 and stands at 3.8 GW. Growth will primarily be d...riven by the British offshore wind sector. Roughly three-quarters of all wind turbines will be installed off the British coast. Further facts and figures on large-scale offshore projects can be found in the en:former.

percent more aluminium will be needed in Europe in 2050, compared with 2020, owing to its use in electric vehicles, solar panels and power lines. In a study commissioned by industry association Eurometaux, researchers at KU Leuven in Belgium conclude that significantly larger quantities of metals and rare earth elements will be needed to meet climate targets. The en:former summarises the report’s... main findings on the energy transition’s impact on the future demand and supply of key metals and rare earth elements.

billion Australian dollars (approximately 13.5 billion euros) in subsidies have been earmarked to expand renewables and power grids. Australia’s government seeks to boost the country’s energy transition with a multi-billion-dollar subsidy package. After all, although the country has formidable prerequisites for producing electricity from the sun as well as onshore and offshore wind, it mainly generates electricity from coal and gas.

percent of all investments in the energy industry in 2022 is expected to be dedicated renewables, grids and storage. This is the assessment made by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its World Energy Investment 2022 report. It shows an encouraging increase in capital expenditure on renewable energy.

terawatt hours (TWh) of battery production capacity could be built in Europe by 2030. This is the figure calculated by the Fraunhofer Institute for System and Innovation Research (ISI). The 1.5 TWh represent roughly a quarter of global capacity. According to the study, Germany could play a key role, as the country has announced projects accounting for a total of 400 gigawatt hour...s. Europe would become increasingly less dependent on the Asian market as a result.

percent of all new generation assets built in the U.S. in 2021 were wind turbines. While the offshore business is developing slowly, the onshore sector is growing at a record pace, adding 13.4 GW of new capacity in 2021 and driving up total installed onshore capacity to 136 GW. This boom is due in part to the low cost of generating electricity from wind turbines in the United States. Wind is bested only by solar, which a...ccounts for 45 percent of new installations.

megawatts is the envisaged capacity of a new battery storage system which RWE plans to build in Germany. The company recently reached the final investment decision for the project. By taking this step, RWE will further expand its battery storage technology business and construct one of Europe’s largest storage systems. A total of 690 lithium-ion battery packs are to be installed at the Neurath and Hamm power plant sites in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in the western part of the country.

Gigawatts – is the total capacity of all floating wind farms currently in planning worldwide, according to a recent study by the organisation renewableUK. Floating offshore technology, already operating at commercial scale off the coast of Scotland, appears ready to make an important contribution to the energy transition. The ability to deploy at greater water depths opens up enormously the areas available to offshore wind power. The UK, Sweden and Ireland currently lead the field in the number of planned projects.

million euros have been earmarked to build an artificial energy island 45 kilometres off the coast of Belgium. Electricity from offshore wind farms is to be pooled on the Princess Elisabeth and transmitted to the mainland via interconnectors. The undertaking represents the first step in the construction of a North Sea supergrid – a network of offshore wind farms and interconnectors designed to supp...ly the European market with wind power.

percent of electricity generated in Europe in 2022 came from wind and solar power, according to the “European Electricity Review 2023” published by think tank Ember. For the first time, renewable energy technologies generated more electricity than gas. Nevertheless, CO₂ emissions from the electricity sector in the EU rose by 3.9 percent, owing primarily to an inc...rease in coal-fired power generation as a result of the energy crisis. For 2023, Ember forecasts further records for renewable energy, as more wind and solar are installed across the region.

trillion US dollars was invested the world over in technologies to implement the energy transition, according to the latest report by the International Renewable Energy Association (IRENA) – a new all-time high. For the first time, investment in electric mobility was just as high as in renewable energy such as wind and solar. Nevertheless, expenditure on renewables must rise further, as ...both e-mobility and the electrification of the heat sector will not progress unless enough green electricity is produced. The experts believe that an average of 5.7 trillion dollars must be dedicated to the energy transition every year through to 2030.

gigawatts (GW) of onshore wind capacity are what Scotland is aiming for by 2030, according to its energy strategy published earlier this year. The country is well on track.

billion US dollars in capital is the sum estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to be required through to 2031 to take energy reform measures under the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by the United States government. In view of this enormous sum, the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) predicts this will have a significant impact on the energy system: Experts believe that 71 to 90 percent of US electricity supply will be covered by renewables by 2030.

The US project pipeline comprises 51.4 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity. The American Clean Power Offshore Wind Market Report reveals that 84 percent of the wind turbines are being built on the East Coast.

per cent less carbon dioxide was emitted from fossil fuel firing in the EU in 2022, according to Eurostat. All told, based on information from the statistical bureau, energy-related emissions dropped in 17 countries, with the Netherlands leading the way (-12.8%). Germany, which accounted for a quarter of total emissions, registered a 3.1 percent decline.

new skilled workers will be needed in the UK offshore wind industry by 2026. According to a recently published report from the UK Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC), the number of employees will increase from 32,000 now to just over 88,500 by 2026.

US homes could be supplied with wind power from the Gulf of Mexico by RWE. In the region’s first offshore wind auction, the company placed the winning bid for a leased area 44 miles off the coast of Louisiana, which provides enough room to set up wind turbines with an aggregate capacity of up to two gigawatts.

percent – that’s how much the Levelised Cost of Electricity from photovoltaics has fallen between 2010 and 2022. The technology developed from a heavily subsidized one to a highly competitive one that is significantly cheaper than fossil fuels. This trend has strengthened further in the past two years.

gigawatts have been packed into the floating offshore project pipeline, says RenewableUK. Floating offshore is considered to be one of the most promising renewable energy technologies as it could tap into a large number of marine regions to produce wind power.