WIESBADEN (dpa-AFX) - Due to weaker demand caused by the economic situation and energy imports from abroad, significantly less electricity was generated in Germany. In the third quarter, the volume fell by a good 20 percent to 94.2 billion kilowatt hours, as the Federal Statistical Office announced in Wiesbaden on Wednesday. "The reasons for the decline are likely to have been a lower demand for electricity as a result of the economic slowdown in energy-intensive industries and the increased import of electricity from abroad," explained the authority.

The amount of electricity imported into Germany grew by 78.6 percent to 23.1 billion kilowatt hours in the third quarter. Denmark, France and the Netherlands were among the most important importing countries. At the same time, the amount of electricity exported fell by a good 38 percent to 9.9 billion kilowatt hours.

According to the statisticians, renewable sources predominate in domestically generated electricity. In the third quarter, electricity generation from renewable energies increased by a good 8 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year, reaching a share of 60.2 percent of the total electricity generated - significantly more than a year earlier (44.4 percent). In contrast, generation from conventional energy sources fell by 42.9% and accounted for almost 40% of total electricity generation.

Electricity generation from wind power rose by a good 16% in the third quarter and was the most important energy source in domestic electricity generation with a share of just under a quarter. The feed-in of electricity from photovoltaics increased by 6.6%, accounting for a share of 21.5%. The feed-in of electricity generated from natural gas rose by a good nine percent.

In contrast, the amount of electricity generated in coal-fired power plants fell by almost half (47.3 percent) and still accounted for 23.9 percent. In the same period of the previous year, coal-fired electricity accounted for a good 36% of domestic electricity generation and was the most important energy source in electricity generation in 2022 as a whole./als/DP/mis