Germany has hit on gas: because of the abandonment of nuclear power plants and windlessness, expensive fuel is burned

In February, the share of electricity production at gas-fired power plants in Germany rose to a record level and almost equaled wind farms. Periods of calm and the abandonment of nuclear power are forcing the country to burn more and more gas. The filling of storage facilities decreased to 45% by mid-February.

In February, the share of gas in electricity production in Germany reached a historic record of 22%. According to the Institute of Solar Energy Systems. According to Fraunhofer, gas generation has almost equaled wind generation, the share of which fell to 25.5% in February. Only coal-fired generation has a large share, which is 31.3%.

In this heating season, Germany is constantly experiencing periods of calm, which is why gas generation is becoming more in demand than ever. According to GIE, the filling of German storage facilities has decreased to 45%. A month and a half before the end of the heating season, 10.9 billion cubic meters remained in the UGS. On February 12, the daily selection increased to 238 million cubic meters. With this level of reserves, they will last until the end of the heating season, which traditionally ends on April 1.

Previously, the share of gas generation in Germany has never risen above 20%, although there was access to cheaper Russian gas. This is due to the fact that nuclear power plants were operating in the country, which accounted for up to 18% of electricity production.

In April 2023, the last nuclear power plant was closed in Germany. Since then, Germany has tried to cover the difference with wind generation, but during periods of calm, it switched more to gas imports and production.

Higher demand for gas in Germany and throughout Europe this winter, coupled with the shutdown of Ukrainian transit of Russian gas, has led to an increase in fuel prices. This week, its price reached a two—year high - above $ 630 per thousand cubic meters.