The German primary energy consumption – status and trends

Like the gross domestic product (GDP), the primary energy consumption (PEC) is a highly aggregated indicator. The primary energy consumption characterizes the energy content of all energy sources used domestically. Energy sources like lignite, hard coal, mineral oil, or natural gas, are either used directly or converted into so-called secondary energy sources such as fuels, electricity, or district heating. In the longer term, PEC will be influenced by technological progress and the associated improvements in energy efficiency, by sectoral and intersectoral structural changes, but also by price-driven substitution processes. This presentation summarizes the composition of PEC in Germany, how cross-border trade of primary energy is structured and which challenges in the field of energy supply Germany is likely to face in the future. In this context, the year 2019 – before the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war – serves as a reference year against which the current energy consumption is compared in order to point out changes resulting from these recent and disruptive developments.     «

Like the gross domestic product (GDP), the primary energy consumption (PEC) is a highly aggregated indicator. The primary energy consumption characterizes the energy content of all energy sources used domestically. Energy sources like lignite, hard coal, mineral oil, or natural gas, are either used directly or converted into so-called secondary energy sources such as fuels, electricity, or district heating. In the longer term, PEC will be influenced by technological progress and the associated i...     »