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5. RENEWABLE ENERGY

IEA (2019e), World Energy Statistics and Balances 2019 (database), IEA, Paris.

IEA (2018a), Renewables 2018: Analysis and Forecasts to 2023, Market Report Series, IEA, Paris.

IEA (2018b), Status of Power System Transformation 2018, IEA, Paris.

WindEurope (2019), “Collapse in wind energy growth jeopardises German and EU renewables targets”, https://windeurope.org/newsroom/press-releases/collapse-in-wind- energy-growth-jeopardises-german-and-eu-renewables-targets/.

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6. Energy technology research, development and demonstration

Key data

(2017)

Government energy RD&D spending: EUR 1 013 million

Share of GDP: 0.31 per 1 000 GDP units (IEA* median: 0.30)

RD&D per capita: USD 12.2 (IEA* median: USD 15.2)

Exchange rate: EUR 1 = USD 1.13; USD 1 = EUR 0.89.

* Median of 19 IEA member countries for which 2017 data are available.

Overview

Germany has continued to increase public funding in energy-related research, development and demonstration (RD&D) to meet the targets set out in the 2010 Energy Concept. As renewable energy sources are expected to account for the biggest share in the future energy mix in Germany, a sizeable share of public RD&D funds are invested in clean energy research, including energy efficiency. In addition, funds for nuclear safety research have been important for the past few years to implement Germany’s nuclear phase-out programme in a safe and reliable manner. Germany should continue to use energy RD&D to support the energy transition. This includes allocating adequate funding to key priority areas and to monitor the effectiveness of its RD&D policy.

Public spending on energy RD&D

Germany spent 0.031% of its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017 on energy-related RD&D. As a result, Germany ranked around the median in terms of RD&D expenditure in 2017 among International Energy Agency (IEA) member countries (Figure 6.1). In absolute numbers, Germany’s energy RD&D budget was USD 1.01 billion in 2017, the fourthlargest among all IEA member countries.

Germany has steadily increased its public energy RD&D spending in the last decade. In 2017, the federal government spent over EUR 1 billion on energy RD&D, which was 14% higher than the year before and nearly double that of 2008 levels (Figure 6.2). Furthermore, energy research is also funded by the states (Länder). In 2016, states’ spending totalled more than EUR 248 million.

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6. ENERGY TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION

7th Energy Research Programme

The German government recognises the role of technology in achieving the ambitious targets of the energy transition as well as the role of innovation in maintaining the competitiveness of German industry. As such, energy RD&D is an important component of the Energiewende. The government’s latest RD&D strategy is embodied in the 7th Energy Research Programme, titled Innovation for the Energy Transition. The programme was adopted in September 2018 and lays out the major guidelines and priorities for federal RD&D funding. The programme was compiled based on a wide-ranging stakeholder consultation process that began in December 2016.

Institutions

Three federal ministries collaborate to enact the agenda under the 7th Energy Research Programme: the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), which oversees applied research initiatives; the Federal Ministry of Food And Agriculture (BMEL), which is in charge of bioenergy-related research; and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), which covers all areas of basic research. However, the programme establishes an inter-ministerial, thematic approach to funding initiatives to promote coherence of energy policy goals across the government. All activities under the programme are synchronised by the Co-ordination Platform for Energy Research Policy, comprising representatives from the aforementioned ministries. The federal government also maintains regular communication with the Länder on energy research policy.

Figure 6.3 German research and innovation system stakeholders

Source: BMBF (2019), Federal Report on Research and Innovation, www.bundesbericht-forschung- innovation.de/en/Structure-and-stakeholders-1650.html.

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6.ENERGY TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION

System integration of renewables, including grid development, energy storage and sector coupling.

Intersystem research areas, such as digitalisation, resource management and carbon technologies.

Nuclear safety research, focused on the safe operation of nuclear power plants through 2022 as well as management of the decommissioning of nuclear plants and radioactive waste disposal.

As part of the 7th programme, the government also places a strong focus on social acceptance of new technologies, especially in areas such as digitalisation. Therefore, the concept of stakeholder engagement is integrated with energy RD&D efforts.

Living labs

Importantly, with the 7th research programme, the government has shifted its strategic direction to technology and innovation transfer. In this regard, the programme emphasises the funding of living labs that can help bring innovative technologies to market and up to commercial scale.

Living labs allow for the testing of new technologies that are close to market-ready in controlled real-world settings. They are cross-cutting demonstration projects on an industrial scale.

Living labs for the energy transition have been introduced as a new funding format in the 7th Energy Research Programme, but they will draw on experience gained from previous funding initiatives. One of these is the Smart Energy Showcases – Digital Agenda for the Energy Transition (SINTEG) programme. Under SINTEG, five model regions have been set up to test digital applications to address technical, economic and regulatory challenges (BWMi, 2018b). A first call for living labs for the energy transition focused on hydrogen technologies for use in heating, transport and industry and on energy-efficient city quarters, and will be supported by EUR 100 million per year.

The participation of technology start-ups also receives greater attention under the programme. Specifically, start-ups will have improved access to research funding and will be able to partner with research institutes and companies to develop innovative solutions (BMWi, 2018c).

Kopernikus projects

The Kopernikus projects are one of the largest Energiewende research initiatives of the federal government, focused on various aspects of system integration of renewables. The projects run over a ten-year horizon and are undertaken in close collaboration with industry. They encompass four core research areas:

development of electricity networks (Kopernikus project ENSURE)

storage of surplus renewable energy by conversion into other energy carriers (Kopernikus project P2X)

adaptation of industrial processes to fluctuating energy supply (Kopernikus project SynErgie)

improved interaction among all sectors of the energy system (Kopernikus project ENavi).

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6. ENERGY TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION

research collaborations organised by the IEA. It participates in 22 Technology Collaboration Programmes (TCPs), out of 38 available programmes. This is the fifthhighest number after the United States, Japan, Korea and Canada. Germany participates in most TCPs related to energy consumption (buildings, transport and industry), renewable energy and hydrogen.

Germany, through the BMWi, has also been active in various fora established under the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) since 2009, and contributes mainly on topics related to smart grids and electric vehicles. Specifically, Germany is a co-leading sponsor of the Multilateral Solar and Wind Working Group, CEM Investment and Finance, Power System Flexibility, and Long-Term Energy Scenarios for the Clean Energy Transition. Beyond those, it also participates in seven additional CEM initiatives.

Germany is also a member of the Mission Innovation (MI) initiative, serving as a co-lead on two work streams: Converting Sunlight Innovation Challenge and Renewable and Clean Hydrogen Innovation Challenge. It also participates in an additional four research areas: Smart Grids Innovation Challenge, Carbon Capture Innovation Challenge, Clean Energy Materials Innovation Challenge, and Affordable Heating and Cooling of Buildings Challenge.

Germany also participates in numerous bilateral research activities through the Agreements on Scientific and Technological Co-operation (S&T). In 2018, Germany had 47 S&T agreements with governments around the world. Under the 7th Energy Research Programme, Germany is planning to especially focus on bilateral partnerships with France, Greece and Australia as well as to develop partnerships with African countries.

Germany’s energy RD&D policy aims to strengthen industrial locations in Germany and Europe, alongside expediting the energy transition. Hence, for Germany, the export potential for climate-friendly technologies is of major importance in setting funding priorities and choosing topics for international collaboration.

Assessment

The goals of the Energy Concept 2010 cannot be reached by only relying on mature technologies. In order to accelerate the rate of technology development and innovation transfer, the federal government recently approved the 7th Energy Research Programme Innovation for the Energy Transition. Compared with the 2013-17 period, the available funding has increased by 45%.

The energy RD&D policy follows a dual strategy with respect to funding instruments. Onethird of the available budget is directed towards institutional funding of the HGF, focusing on long-term research objectives. The share for competitively funded projects with shorterterm objectives was recently increased to two-thirds.

While the federal government spent over EUR 1 billion on energy RD&D in 2017, the federal states contributed an additional EUR 248 million. The latter consisted of both basic financing of research centres and competitive project funding. Due to the priorities and financial situations of the federal states, their contributions to energy RD&D will not increase at the same rate compared with federal policy.

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