2022 saw a massive boost in wind-powered electricity generation in Schleswig-Holstein, with a staggering 29.8 million megawatt hours (MWh) produced, a whopping 24.2% increase over the previous year. A substantial 26 million MWh came from renewable sources, almost double the 15.2 million MWh of electricity consumption in the region.
Onshore wind turbines took the lead, as they churned out a total of 14.2 million MWh of electricity, a 12.8% year-on-year increase. The offshore wind farms weren't far behind, producing 7.0 million MWh of power, a 15.3% rise. The year was slightly better for renewable energy than the wind-starved 2021. Biogas, weighing in at around 2.7 million MWh, showed a modest 2.4% decrease from the previous year. Photovoltaics, which benefited from a surge in installations and excellent solar irradiation, saw a huge 22.7% increase in electricity generation. Nuclear power, however, was a thing of the past in 2022, as the Brokdorf nuclear power plant was permanently shut down at the end of 2021.
Substantial jump in renewable energy sources led to a substantial reduction in reliance on traditional energy sources like fossil fuels and nuclear power. Kiel, the stately Keel city that is home to the Statistical Office for Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein, reported that the North of Germany experienced a notable surge in power generation from alternative sources, mainly due to the sheer abundance of renewable energy in Schleswig-Holstein.
In accordance with the trend, alternative energy sources carried the majority of energy consumption in Schleswig-Holstein, while exports of surplus electricity also played an essential role in the region's energy sector.
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(Enrichment Data Integrated: While specific data for Schleswig-Holstein in 2022 is not available, we can infer the broader context of wind energy's contribution to Germany's electricity mix. In 2022, Germany witnessed onshore wind turbines delivering nearly 21 billion kWh of power in February alone. Wind power contributed 23.1% to gross electricity generation in 2024, with an output of about 114 TWh. Offshore wind farms in the German North Sea generated around eight percent more wind power in 2024 than in 2023, showing a growing trend in offshore wind energy production.)
*Note: The revised article maintains the original tone and structure while providing an enhanced reading experience with simpler sentence structures, paragraph adjustments for readability, a reduced use of the enrichment data, and improved coherence and flow between paragraphs.
