Editing Economy of Germany (section)

==Infrastructure==
===Energy===
{{Main|Energy in Germany}}
Germany is the world's fifth-largest consumer of energy, and two-thirds of its primary energy was imported in 2002. In the same year, Germany was Europe's largest consumer of electricity, totaling 512.9 terawatt-hours. Government policy promotes energy conservation and the development of [[renewable energy]] sources, such as solar, [[Wind power|wind]], [[biomass]], hydroelectric, and [[Geothermal power|geothermal]] energy. As a result of energy-saving measures, [[Efficient energy use|energy efficiency]] has been improving since the beginning of the 1970s. The government has set the goal of meeting half the country's energy demands from renewable sources by 2050. Renewable energy also plays an increasing role in the labour market: Almost 700,000 people are employed in the energy sector. About 50 percent of them work with renewable energies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de/en/climate-and-energy/greentech-sector-future|title=Greentech – A Sector with a Future|website=Facts about Germany}}</ref>

[[File:Windgermany.JPG|thumb|left|The largest [[solar power]] and [[Wind power in Europe|third-largest wind power]] capacity in the world is installed in Germany.]]

In 2000, the [[First Schröder cabinet|red-green coalition under Chancellor Schröder]] and the [[Nuclear power in Germany|German nuclear power industry]] agreed to phase out all [[nuclear power plant]]s by 2021.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4295389.stm|title=Germany split over green energy|date=25 February 2005|via=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> The [[Second Merkel cabinet|conservative coalition under Chancellor Merkel]] reversed this decision in January 2010, electing to keep plants open. The nuclear disaster of the Japanese nuclear plant [[Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant|Fukushima]] in March 2011 however, changed the political climate fundamentally: Older nuclear plants have been shut down. Germany is seeking to have wind, solar, biogas, and other renewable energy sources play a bigger role, as the country looks to completely phase out nuclear power by 2022 and coal-fired power plants by 2038.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Welle|first=Deutsche|title=Germany: Coal tops wind as primary electricity source {{!}} DW {{!}} 13.09.2021|url=https://www.dw.com/en/germany-coal-tops-wind-as-primary-electricity-source/a-59168105|access-date=2021-10-28|website=DW.COM|language=en-GB}}</ref> Renewable energy yet still plays a more modest role in energy consumption, though German solar and wind power industries play a leading role worldwide. Germany has been called "the world's first major [[renewable energy]] economy".<ref name="renewableenergyworld.com"/><ref name="ise.fraunhofer.de"/>

In 2009, Germany's total energy consumption (not just electricity) came from the following sources:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bmwi.de/BMWi/Redaktion/Binaer/Energiedaten/energiegewinnung-und-energieverbrauch2-primaerenergieverbrauch.xls |title=Energy Consumption in Germany |language=de |access-date=2014-08-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427062607/http://www.bmwi.de/BMWi/Redaktion/Binaer/Energiedaten/energiegewinnung-und-energieverbrauch2-primaerenergieverbrauch.xls |archive-date=27 April 2011}}</ref> oil 34.6%, natural gas 21.7%, lignite 11.4%, bituminous coal 11.1%, nuclear power 11.0%, hydro and wind power 1.5%, others 9.0%.

In the first half of 2021, coal, natural gas, and nuclear energy comprised 56% of the total electricity fed into Germany's grid in the first half of 2021. Coal was the leader out of the conventional energy sources, comprising over 27% of Germany's electricity. Wind power's contribution to the electric grid was 22%.<ref name=":0" />

There are 3 major entry points for oil pipelines: in the northeast (the [[Druzhba pipeline]], coming from [[Gdańsk]]), west (coming from [[Rotterdam]]) and southeast (coming from [[Nelahozeves]]). The oil pipelines of Germany do not constitute a proper network, and sometimes only connect two different locations. Major oil refineries are located in or near the following cities: [[Schwedt]], [[Spergau]], [[Vohburg]], [[Burghausen, Altötting|Burghausen]], [[Karlsruhe]], [[Cologne]], [[Gelsenkirchen]], [[Lingen, Germany|Lingen]], [[Wilhelmshaven]], [[Hamburg]], and [[Heide]].<ref name="Detlef, Günter 2010. p.42">Detlef, Günter: Wirtschaftsatlas Deutschland. Rowohlt Berlin, 2010. p.42</ref>

Germany's network of [[natural gas]] pipelines, on the other hand, is dense and well-connected. Imported pipeline gas comes mostly from [[Russia]], the [[Netherlands]], and the [[United Kingdom]].

===Transport===
{{Main|Transport in Germany}}
[[File:IC3 NIederlande in Frankfurt 249-dLd b.jpg|thumb|The [[ICE 3]] trainset, here run by [[Deutsche Bahn]], in [[Frankfurt]]]]
With its central position in Europe, Germany is an important transportation hub. This is reflected in its dense and modern transportation networks. The extensive motorway (''[[Autobahn]]'') network ranks worldwide third largest in its total length and features a lack of blanket [[Speed limits in Germany|speed limits]] on the majority of routes.<ref name=adac>{{cite web | title= Germany's Autobahn faces blanket speed limits | date= May 2013 | url= http://recombu.com/cars/articles/news/germany-s-autobahn-faces-blanket-speed-limits | archive-url= https://archive.today/20141020120956/http://recombu.com/cars/articles/news/germany-s-autobahn-faces-blanket-speed-limits | url-status= dead | archive-date= 20 October 2014 }}</ref>

Germany has established a polycentric network of [[high-speed rail|high-speed trains]]. The [[Intercity Express]] or ''ICE'' is the most advanced service category of the [[Deutsche Bahn]] and serves major German cities as well as destinations in neighbouring countries. The train maximum speed varies between 200&nbsp;km/h and 320&nbsp;km/h (125-200&nbsp;mph). Connections are offered at either 30-minute, hourly, or two-hourly intervals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.db.de/site/bahn/de/unternehmen/investor__relations/finanzberichte/geschaeftsbericht/geschaeftsbericht__2006.html |title=Geschäftsbericht 2006 der Deutschen Bahn AG |access-date=2011-03-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070809140315/http://www.db.de/site/bahn/de/unternehmen/investor__relations/finanzberichte/geschaeftsbericht/geschaeftsbericht__2006.html |archive-date=9 August 2007}}, Deutsche Bahn. Retrieved 19 October 2007.</ref> German railways are heavily subsidised, receiving €17.0 billion in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=German Railway Financing |url=https://www.deutschebahn.com/file/de/2192370/2RLvPOzueXgX19CucGFn4Wofp5E/2267530/data/finanz_eisenbahn_dtl.pdf |page=2 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310165357/https://www.deutschebahn.com/file/de/2192370/2RLvPOzueXgX19CucGFn4Wofp5E/2267530/data/finanz_eisenbahn_dtl.pdf |archive-date=10 March 2016}}</ref>

The largest German airports are [[Frankfurt Airport]] and [[Munich Airport]], both are global hubs of [[Lufthansa]]. Other major airports are [[Berlin Brandenburg Airport]], [[Düsseldorf Airport|Düsseldorf]], [[Hamburg Airport|Hamburg]], [[Hannover Airport|Hanover]], [[Cologne Bonn Airport|Cologne/Bonn]], and [[Stuttgart Airport|Stuttgart]].

===Banking system===
{{multiple image
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| image1 = Deutsche Bank Taunusanlage.jpg
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| caption1 = [[Deutsche Bank]] [[Deutsche Bank Twin Towers|Twin Towers]] in [[Frankfurt]]
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| caption2 = [[Deutscher Sparkassen- und Giroverband]] headquarters in Berlin
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Seven German banks are among the [[List of largest banks|biggest in the world]]. As of 2019, Germany is the country in Europe with the highest number of credit institutions: between 1,600 and 1,800.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www-ilsole24ore-com.translate.goog/art/da-deutsche-sparkassen-3-pilastri-ingessati-banche-tedesche-ABS0rHsB?_x_tr_sl=it&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=it&_x_tr_pto=wapp&_x_tr_hist=true|title=From Deutsche to Sparkassen, the 3 "plastered" pillars of German banks|author=Isabella Bufacchi|date=27 April 2019}}</ref> The types of institutions are in strong [[competition]] with each other: 390 [[Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe|''Sparkassen'']] and 8 public [[Landesbank|''Landesbanken'']] groups (1,200 billion euros of [[transaction account|deposits]]), private [[commercial bank]]s ([[Deutsche Bank|DB]], [[Commerzbank]], and [[UniCredit|Unicredit]]-[[HypoVereinsbank]], for 780 billion), cooperative credit banks (700 billion euros), savings banks, and [[German Cooperative Financial Group|''Raiffeisen'']]. The total of the system is worth 3,800 billion. 75% of retail customer deposits are managed by [[savings bank]]s and cooperative credit banks.

According to Eurostat, in 2022 Germany also recorded the highest European rate of gross [[saving]]s (19.98% of [[Per capita income|disposable income]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://it.euronews.com/business/2023/11/28/in-which-european-countries-do-you-save-the-most|title=In which European countries do you save the most?}}{{Dead link|date=January 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>