https://www.mdu.se/

This thesis examines the environmental and structural impacts of the European energy crisis on Germany’s energy system between 2020 and 2024. Using data from AG Energiebilanzen (AGEB), BMWK, BDEW, and Eurostat, it analyses how disrupted Russian fossil-fuel imports, emergency policy responses, and market conditions reshaped primary energy consumption, import dependency, and the progression of Germany’s renewable energy transition.

Results show that total primary energy consumption declined continuously, falling by about 1.1 % in 2024 compared with 2023. This reduction, however, was largely driven by high energy prices, milder weather, weak economic performance, and stored energy from the previous year rather than by efficiency improvements or rapid renewable growth. The ratio of domestic production to total consumption remained nearly constant, reflecting continued structural dependence on imports. Renewables expanded gradually, reaching around 20 % of total primary energy and just over 50 % of electricity generation by 2024.

Greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions declined in parallel with energy demand, but mainly for cyclical reasons rather than structural decarbonisation. Germany’s crisis response—LNG expansion, supplier diversification, and temporary coal use—ensured short-term energy stability but achieved limited environmental progress. Long-term sustainability will depend on faster renewable integration, grid modernisation, and deeper policy reform.