Germany used to be an exporter of electrical energy to the rest of Europe. This year they shut down the last of their nuclear power plants and became an importer. The total electrical energy imported in 2023 was 11,687 GWh.
DB2
Annual cross border physical flows of electricity into Germany in 2023 was 8,620 GWh, not 11,687 GWh. It was mainly from Poland.
German nuclear plants generated 6,642 GWh of electricity in 2013.
Do you have a link?
At any rate, we agree that Germany became an importer of electrical energy.
DB2
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I used the same link from which you grabbed 11,687 GWh by mistake.
Germany generated 508,000 GWh in 2023. That means 8,620 GWh of imports from other countries is about 1.6% or in other words peanuts.
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Hmmm. Monthly cross border electricity trading
GWh Jan - 3961 Feb - 2896 Mar - 2066 Apr 412 May 3454 Jun 4032 Jul 3359 Aug 5824 Sep 4537 Oct 1497 Nov - 19 Dec - 2577 Sum 11596
DB2
That is your problem - trading is not the same as the physical flow of electricity between countries. You need to look at the actual physical flows of electricity across the borders.
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Jan - 3276 GWh
Feb - 3004
Mar - 2290
Apr + 0122
May + 3048
Jun + 3695
Jul + 3112
Aug + 5458
Sep + 4247
Oct + 1121
Nov - 0404
Dec - 2759
Sum + 8620 GWh
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Bob,
You are suggesting indirectly we need a fossil fuel energy policy because there are supply problems?
Those policies are working according to your link and Jaak’s analysis or simple fact-finding.
The policies for renewable energy are far more important.
The power gap for Germany is with respect to their transition to net zero. By shutting down their nukes they have made the transition that much harder. As discussed up-thread, I don’t think they will meet their goals. Of course, if they de-industrialize their energy demands will be smaller. 
Interesting, but still negative. Why would the trading be different than the actual flows?
DB2
The obsession with the German power grid is fascinating to me. Of all the the things to occupy your mind with and the choice is…German power?
It is one of those things that makes the world go around. I can’t imagine anything more boring, but some people follow it like the stock market.
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I think the ‘obsession’ comes not from the power grid itself (although modern civilized life would be impossible without it) but rather Germany’s Energiewende (energy turnaround). For those who think global warming is an existential crisis (I am not one) then a transition such as Germany is attempting is crucial, a proverbial canary.
DB2
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Trades are made on contracts, but some contracts are not filled. Hence actual flows is what we need to pay attention to in cross border discussions.
You have not shown that the German nuclear plant shutdowns in 2023 caused the cross border electricity flows to make Germany an net importer.
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To expand somewhat on DB2’s comments, I see two big reasons to pay attention to Germany’s energy policies.
- Germany has the largest economy in Europe. What happens in Germany affects the EU, and what happens in the EU has the potential to affect the worldwide economy. Macro stuff.
From the link:
Markus Krebber, 50, warned that this will endanger Germany’s ‘competitiveness’ as an industrial hub, meaning companies will be driven out of the country, taking much needed jobs with them.
Sounds like Gemany’s energy situation is potentially serious. It was serious last June, anyway.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
2. Germany’s Energiewende program is often held up as an example and role model that other nations should be following.
Here is one example from McKinsey.
From McKinsey:
For a long time, Germany was a pioneer in climate protection and perceived as a global role model for a successful energy transition. As early as in 2000, Germany implemented the Renewable Energy Sources Act, which supported the large-scale buildup of renewables under an expensive feed-in tariff scheme. As a result, installed solar-photovoltaic (PV) and wind capacities have soared from 6.2 gigawatts to 83.8 gigawatts between 2000 and 2015.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
So, if Germany is such a role model for building up lots of renewable energy for the purpose of saving the climate, then we should expect its CO2 emissions to be very low, yes?
Well, yes and no.
Germany’s per capita CO2 emissions might be less than the US, for example. But when compared to some of their European neighbors, the Germans are still rather dirty, and still relying on lignite coal and natural gas.
A good measure in the electricity sector is to look at the grams of CO2 emitted per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated. The link below shows a ranked chart for the EU.
As of 2022, Germany ranked #21 in the EU for CO2 emissions per kwh. The country with the smallest CO2 intensity is Sweden, which relies on a combination of hydro and nuclear power to achieve a very low 7 grams per kwh. Germany is at 366 grams on this chart. This is being a role model? Few people talk about how well Sweden is doing.
Yes, it is important to keep an eye on German energy policies and the effectiveness of those policies.
- Pete
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It may be just a coincidence, but the year that Germany shut down its nuke was the same year that Germany became a net importer of electricity.
DB2
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You are forgetting Germany not taking Russian imports.
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Saudi Arabia, USA, Canada, and Russia are much bigger CO2 emitters per capita than Germany. Japan and China are bigger CO2 emitters per capita. Poland the neighbor of Germany is a bigger CO2 emitters per capita:
Berlin has agreed to spend €16 billion to build four major natural gas plants to meet electricity demand in a major overhaul of the country’s energy grid…The ruling coalition reached the decision following talks between Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the Social Democratic Party and the economy minister, Green Party politician Robert Habeck…Environmental groups remain skeptical, however, with Greenpeace denouncing the strategy as a “perfect example of how the hype around hydrogen is just a smokescreen for more fossil gas.”…
Last week, French energy giant Engie was given approval to build a 500 megawatt gas plant near the city of Nijmegen in the Netherlands…
Germany shut down its final three nuclear reactors last April, despite warnings that it would cause more fossil fuel to be burned. Last year, a reportfrom Berlin’s own climate agency said the country was likely to miss its target of cutting greenhouse emissions by 65 % by 2030.
DB2
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Germany, France and other countries are building gas power plants using natural gas for a few years and then converting them to green hydrogen gas. It makes sense and will help meet their climate goals faster than China, India and USA.