Green Energy News | December 2024

German Companies Adapt to Risks of Climate Change

German companies are investing more in climate change risk reduction measures according to a recent Handelsblatt study. Flood protection measures and new office and factory cooling systems are being rolled out in efforts to counteract the risks – heat, lack of water, flooding, and storms – of climate change. According to recent forecasts, climate impact could affect up to 25 percent of profits, thereby highlighting the importance of measures to mitigate the effects of increased global temperatures. Germany recently introduced its first nationally binding climate adaptation targets in areas including health, infrastructure, urban development, and the economy. 

US Investor Buys Stake in German Solar Pioneer 

US-based investment fund I Squared has secured a majority stake in Berlin-based solar company Sunfarming. The Miami-based investor plans to invest half a billion euros in expanding “agrivoltaics” (agriculture and photovoltaics) over the next three years in Germany alone. Sunfarming is one of Germany’s oldest solar companies and of the largest active in the burgeoning agrivoltaics sector. The company plans and builds photovoltaic projects that combine agricultural production with solar power generation. Although very much still a niche market, the potential for agrivoltaics is huge. Germany plans to install 215 GW of solar systems by 2030 – half of which will be on open land and therefore also arable land. This could amount to as much as four million hectares, allowing one percent of the country’s arable land to potentially cover up to nine percent of domestic power requirements. Since 2023, agrivoltaic projects have also been eligible for public funding in Germany in line with the country’s renewable energy sources act. 

Rooftop Solar Installations Growing in Major Cities

Solar energy expansion in German cities continues to grow according to a study compiled by renewable energy provider Lichtblick. According to the survey of roof-mounted solar photovoltaic systems in 14 metropolitan areas, growth is up by more than 100 percent in a number of major conurbations in the country. Essen is named as the country’s new “solar capital” with a “solar factor” – the ratio of the area of newly installed solar systems to newly constructed roof area on residential and commercial buildings – of almost 138 percent writes Clean Energy Wire. Cologne came in at 110 percent, with Hanover and Leipzig similarly overshooting the 100 percent mark (the 100 percent mark is topped when the total area of new modules exceeds that of new roof area). More solar power is also being used per household, with solar output per 1,000 inhabitants up 34.7 percent on last year’s level. Total installed solar power system output surpassed 90 GW in June of this year. 

Germany’s Hydrogen Core Network Approved in Milestone Decision 

The Federal Network Agency has approved the core grid application submitted by transmission system operators after a review and consultation process. Having cleared this hurdle, the path is now clear for the realization of the hydrogen core grid in Germany – with hydrogen set to begin flowing through pipelines in 2025. The core network will connect central hydrogen sites in all federal states, covering everything from production centers and import points to storage facilities and future clients in industry and power stations. The 9,040 kilometers of pipeline that constitute the grid are set to be completed by 2032 at a cost of almost EUR 19 billion. Around 60 percent of the grid will take the form of converted gas pipelines, with the remaining 40 percent to be newly built. An additional EUR 2 billion will be invested in additional gas pipelines to ensure security of supply. 

Eternal Power announces 80 MW hydrogen plant in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Hamburg-based Eternal Power has announced plans to develop a green hydrogen production plant on a site 10 kilometers south of the city of Rostock. The 80 MW electrolysis plant will produce around 8,000 tons of green hydrogen annually from 2028 onward once connected to the country’s proposed core network. A further 320 MW of capacity is planned from 2030 subject to the completion of an extra high-voltage line by grid operator 50Hertz. The company reports that it has already secured an initial contract for hydrogen delivery in the EUR 2.3 billion range. 

BDI - Green Tech Central to German Industry Leadership

Green technologies are central to Germany’s industrial success in the future according to the Federation of German Industries (BDI). Global energy transition technologies – the modern power grids, wind energy, green hydrogen production, electric mobility, and heat pumps central to the global energy transition – could form a EUR 15 trillion market by 2030 according to a recent BDI industry transformation report. According to the Boston Consulting Group and German Economic Institute study, the country is well equipped to create new industrial value in areas including climate technologies, industrial automation and healthcare. 

Germany Joins Sustainable Battery Value Chain Alliance

German chancellor Olaf Scholz announced plans to join the Global Battery Alliance (GBA) at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference in October. The GBA is a public-private collaboration platform established at the World Economic Forum that seeks to minimize environmental impact, protect human rights and promote global sustainability standards. There are currently over 180 partner members including industry players, academics and intergovernmental organizations. 

Fermentation Technology Turns CO2 into Biodegradable Plastics

CO2BioClean, a start-up based in Hessen, has developed a disruptive technology that allows carbon dioxide to be converted into bioplastics using an innovative fermentation process. Carbon dioxide is transformed into PHA bioplastics for reuse in the cosmetics, packaging and agricultural sectors. The company has commissioned a pilot plant – situated in the Industriepark Höchst in Frankfurt – to test the industrial feasibility of the technology under real-life conditions. 

NetCologne opens sustainable data center in Cologne

Cologne-based telecommunications company NetCologne opened its first sustainable data center in Cologne-Lövenich in September. The new facility runs on 100 percent green power and features waste heat recuperation, with solar systems and green facades also deployed to reduce the system’s carbon footprint. It is the company's fourth data center in total and represents another important contribution to strengthening digital infrastructure in the Rhineland metropolitan region.