Lignite is used primarily to generate electricity and heat in power plants, though also in transport and agriculture. As for nuclear energy, Germany used to have operational nuclear facilities. The German government had first announced plans to keep two plants on standby until spring 2023 in case of an emergency in energy supply. The last three nuclear reactors in the country were ultimately shut down in the middle of April that year.
Energy consumption in Germany is largely based on fossil fuels such as crude oil and natural gas. Heating oil consumption in private households in Germany showed a downward trend since the late 1990s after peaking in 1997, and was at its lowest in 2018. Natural gas consumption, meanwhile, generally increased in recent years, with around 77.3 billion cubic meters recorded in 2022. Due to less gas being supplied from Russia during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, national gas storage levels are being closely monitored. The situation has put increased focus on finding alternative sources for heating and electricity production. The German government is reopening closed coal-fired power plants in the country, in accordance with the national Energy Security Act (Energiesicherungsgesetz). The strategy is to use these plants for electricity generation, while plants powered by gas can be saved for the purpose of heating. A number of coal-fired plants had already been shut down for the so-called phasing out to keep the future global temperature increase within the declared goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Energy consumption in Germany is largely based on fossil fuels such as crude oil and natural gas. Heating oil consumption in private households in Germany showed a downward trend since the late 1990s after peaking in 1997, and was at its lowest in 2018. Natural gas consumption, meanwhile, generally increased in recent years, with around 77.3 billion cubic meters recorded in 2022. Due to less gas being supplied from Russia during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, national gas storage levels are being closely monitored. The situation has put increased focus on finding alternative sources for heating and electricity production. The German government is reopening closed coal-fired power plants in the country, in accordance with the national Energy Security Act (Energiesicherungsgesetz). The strategy is to use these plants for electricity generation, while plants powered by gas can be saved for the purpose of heating. A number of coal-fired plants had already been shut down for the so-called phasing out to keep the future global temperature increase within the declared goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
