The Energy Transition in Germany

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The Energy Transition in Germany

Carbon Neutrality in the Balancing Act between Energy Demand and Energy Supply

Böger, Matthias / Fuoss, Klaus

Against the backdrop of climate change, Germany has committed to being carbon neutral by 2045. Even assuming a roughly 25% drop in energy consumption by then, it will still be necessary to close a gap of about 1300 TWh/year created by the move away from fossil energy sources. Although a full expansion of all renewable energy sources could theoretically lead to a completely self-sufficient and carbon-neutral supply in Germany, this is hardly conceivable in practice. This would require a massive transformation of the landscape as well as a corresponding acceptance among the population (for example, wind turbines in the vicinity of residential areas). The remaining alternatives are “green” energy imports in the form of hydrogen, eMethane, eFuels or the electricity directly.

Beyond merely obtaining the requisite amount of energy, availability in particular presents a second significant challenge. In general, renewable energy production is subject to volatility. The amount of energy that can be supplied depends on the respective environmental conditions (wind, sunlight) and is thus independent of the actual energy demand. In order to compensate for these fluctuations, energy storage systems of a corresponding size are indispensable. Currently, only synthetic, chemical energy carriers (hydrogen, eMethane, eFuels) can be used for large amounts of energy, such as those needed to store thermal energy for the winter.