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German energy consumption boosted by upbeat economy: official report

Xinhua,December 21, 2017 Adjust font size:

BERLIN, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- German energy consumption rose in 2017 thanks to the country's favorable economic development, a report by the Working Group on Energy Balances (AGEB) showed on Thursday.

The report estimated that Germany's energy consumption would increase 0.8 percent this year, mainly driven by higher demand related to growth in the output of domestic firms.

Several leading economic research institutes have recently revised their forecasts for gross domestic product (GDP) upwards, with the Munich-based Ifo Institute for Economic Research expecting an expansion of 2.3 percent in 2017 and 2.6 percent in 2018.

Despite the rise in total energy consumption, CO2 emission levels remained stable in 2017 thanks to changes in the German energy landscape.

AGEB said in the report that over the past year, renewables extended their share of national energy production from 12.5 percent to 13.1 percent, largely driven by a 34-percent surge in electricity generated through wind energy.

However, electricity only accounts for a relatively small share of total energy production in Germany while conventional energy sources continue to dominate. Oil and gas were hence still responsible for a combined 60 percent of total energy consumption in 2017, registering an annual growth of 3 percent and 5 percent, respectively.

By contrast, hard coal consumption fell by 10.4 percent, representing only 11 percent of total consumption. Similarly, nuclear power's share slipped by more than 10 percent to 6.1 percent. Brown coal consumption stagnated.

Reducing the role of fossil fuels in the German energy landscape is critical to Berlin's official objective to transition towards a greener economy under its ongoing "Energy Revolution" reforms.

A study by the Federal Ministry of the Environment has warned that the country would fall far short of lowering man-made greenhouse emissions by 40 percent until 2020 (compared to levels of 1990) if it continued on its current trajectory. Enditem