At present, Germany generates some 80 % of its electricity from coal, gas and nuclear energy. The share of renewables in gross electricity consumption has risen from 3 % (1990) to over 16.4 % (2009). The German government has set itself the ambitious goal of achieving at least a 30 % share by 2020 and increasing this amount continuously after that date. Policymakers' efforts in Germany are matched by the European energy-policy goal of expanding the share of renewables in total final-energy consumption from about 10.3 % in 2008 to 20 % in 2020. To attain these ambitious targets, technical progress is indispensable – research and development are a crucial success factor in this respect.

At RWE Innogy, RWE is bundling its activities in the area of renewable energies. These comprise the Europe-wide expansion of renewable-generation capacities within the scope of an investment programme bearing a price tag running into billions as well as Research and Development in the development of both existing and new technologies.