More than a quarter of Germany’s electricity came from renewable energy in the first half of 2012. It was the first time renewables provided more than 25%, according to new figures published yesterday by a German trade body.

The German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) says renewable energy provided 67.9 billion kilowatt-hours.

Wind power bore the lion’s share with 9.2%, followed by biomass (5.7%), solar photovoltaics (4.7%) and hydro (4%). The share of electricity from waste-fuelled plants and other renewable energies reached 0.9%.

Germany’s renewables sector is expected to pick up most of the country’s shortfall in energy generation in future, after the EU powerhouse ditched its nuclear programme in the wake of Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster.