Germany Has To Import More Electricity

For comparison: According to preliminary figures, gross electricity generation in Germany in 2020 was 564,000 gigawatt hours. According to the Federal Statistical Office, one reason for the growing electricity imports is the declining share of coal and nuclear power plants in electricity generation in Germany. With a view to the first half of the year, the statisticians found that electricity was imported to cover demand, particularly when there was no wind or when it was dark. The main importing country for electricity was again France in 2020 and Austria was the largest customer. According to the Federal Environment Agency, production and consumption in Germany were roughly in balance until 2003. Since then, more electricity has been produced than consumed, and there is a surplus in electricity exchange with neighboring countries. The peak was reached in 2017 with over 55,000 gigawatt hours. Since then, the surplus has fallen - to around 17,400 gigawatt hours in 2020. The operators of the large transmission grids assume that Germany will be more dependent on electricity imports in the future in order to be able to maintain the electricity supply in extreme situations. The reason: With the switch to wind and solar power, the reliable performance in the power system, independent of weather conditions, is dwindling. In their theoretical analysis, however, the network operators do not make any statement as to how likely such a deficiency situation is.