Germany electricity generation from lignite
Germany electricity generation from lignite stood at 5,933.12 GWh in Sep 2026, according to Bundesnetzagentur | SMARD.de (Federal Network Agency electricity market data). It is one of the indicators in the Electricity generation, consumption and prices table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Jan 2015 to Sep 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Electricity generation, consumption and prices table
| Indicator | 09-2026 | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional sources | |||||||||||
| Lignite | 5,933.12 | 4,607.78 | 4,882.38 | 4,334.89 | 4,511.67 | 4,215.23 | 6,832.69 | 6,437.51 | 6,856.53 | 5,444.63 | |
| Hard coal | 2,370.6 | 2,210.02 | 1,839.25 | 1,513.05 | 1,922.82 | 2,227.36 | 2,976.08 | 3,322.49 | 4,404.71 | 2,599.89 |
Understanding germany electricity generation from lignite
Brown coal (lignite) power generation in Germany captures the gross electrical output from domestic plants burning this specific fuel type. The metric separates lignite from hard coal facilities and stands distinctly apart from cleaner conventional alternatives like natural gas. Volumes registered here represent continuous baseload provision fed into the transmission and distribution network. Output consumed by the power stations themselves for auxiliary systems remains part of this gross figure before subtraction for net delivery.
Assessing these volumes demands year-on-year comparisons rather than monthly sequences. Baseload generation shifts structurally across heating and cooling seasons, rendering period-on-period differences misleading as they conflate underlying structural shifts with routine weather-driven demand cycles. Analysts should account for scheduled maintenance windows occurring during milder months, which temporarily depress output. Early releases frequently undergo minor upward revisions as belated meter readings from smaller operators supplement automated telemetry. Comparing these totals directly against wind or solar requires caution, as conventional plants dictate the controllable margin rather than simply reacting to weather availability.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this include imports of lignite electricity?
- Only electricity generated within the country by domestic lignite plants is counted in this metric.
- Are emissions measured in this dataset?
- The dataset records the electrical output, entirely omitting the carbon or greenhouse gases emitted during combustion.
- Why is it listed separately from hard coal?
- The grid tracks these as distinct categories because they rely on different supply chains and combustion technologies.