Column: In search of the elusive green nickel premium
Just about every Western producer will tell you metal produced to higher environmental and social standards should command a premium.
Thanks in part to favorable weather in the first half of the year, renewable energy made up to 44% of the total energy has been consumed in Germany according to the country’s Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and the German Federal Association of Energy and Water (BDEW).
Onshore wind power remained the dominant source of clean energy whilst offshore wind power saw a 30% increase in usage to 12 billion kilowatt hours (kWh). Combined, wind energy produced 67.8 billion kilowatt hours whilst others like photovoltaic systems, biomass and hydro power accounted for a total of 60.7 billion kWh.
The remaining 56% of Germany’s energy portfolio is non-renewable and consists mainly of mineral oil, coal, natural gas and nuclear energy.
Stephan Kpferer, chairman of BDEW’s Executive Management board commented saying “the new record for green electricity is an encouraging snapshot, but let it not obscure the fact that there are underlying structural problems. If we merely keep on with more of the same, we will end up with just 54% renewable energies.”
This would be far from the climate protection goal the German government has set to reach 65% usage of renewable energy in its portfolio by 2030.
The Managing Director of ZSW, Prof. Frithjof Staiß added that in order to achieve the target set, Germany “should adapt the political framework conditions to this end,” and the public will be expected to “support the actions taken to better protect the climate if the impact is cushioned to alleviate any social hardship.”
Written with material from Zentrum für Sonnenenergieund Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW)
