Offshore wind output up over 11% in first three quarters of 2018

Renewable energy accounted for 38% of Germany's electricity consumption in the first three quarters of 2018, up three percentage points on last year, new figures show.

Offshore wind generation increased by 11.1% to 13 terrwatt-hours (TWh) in the first nine months of the year, compared with 11.7TWh in the same period of 2017, according to data from the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research and the German Association of Energy and Water Industries.

Onshore wind supplied 63TWh in the period, up by more than 13% from 55.4TWh last year, while solar grew 16% to over 41TWh from 35.6TWh.

Biomass contributed 34TWh of electricity, an increase of 1.7% on the 33.4TWh generated last year.

If wind speeds in the fourth quarter are at a level equivalent to the average of the last few years, renewable energy will cover 38% of the country’s electricity consumption over the entire year, the two groups said.