Germany got 10% of energy from clean sources in 2009: official

Germany got more than 10 percent of its energy last year from renewable sources, a "delightful" step towards a 2020 goal of 18 percent, Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen said on Wednesday.

Energy produced by sources including biomass, geo-thermal, hydro-electric, solar and wind accounted for 10.1 percent of the total consumed by Europe's biggest economy, up from 9.3 percent in 2008.

Biomass sources were the single biggest supplier.

"We have made delightful progress," Roettgen said before proclaiming that "Germany remains a leader in the field of renewable energies."

"We believe that Germany will reach the European target of 18 percent by 2020," he added.

The government has set itself an ambitious target of obtaining half of its energy needs from such sources by 2050.

By 2020, Germany also wants to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent from their level in 1990.

Renewable energy allowed the country to avoid 110 tonnes of such emissions last year, the minister said.

(c) 2010 AFP