Renewable energy creates another new UK record

New annual figures, published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in its quarterly Energy Trends report, show that renewables generated 36.9 per cent of the UK’s electricity in 2019, a new record for the energy mix.

Wind, both onshore and offshore, provided a record 20 per cent of the UK’s power last yea, with each type providing 9.9 per cent of the total. Wind also generated record annual quantities of power, with onshore and offshore each providing 32TWh. The total annual amount of electricity generated from all sources was 324TWh.

Low carbon generation (renewables and nuclear) reached another record at 54.2 per cent, with nuclear providing 17.4 per cent last year, whilst more carbon intensive fuels saw falls, with gas generated below half at 40.9 per cent and coal dropping to a 130 year low of 2.1 per cent.

As a result 2019 UK greenhouse gas emissions were 45.2 per cent lower than in 1990 and 3.6 per cent lower than 2018, but the effects of the dramatic reduction in coal generated energy will become harder to repeat in the next 30 years as the UK aims foe a net-zero balance.

Commenting on the results, RenewableUK’s deputy chief executive Melanie Onn said: “Today’s record-breaking figures show just how radically the UK’s energy system is changing, with low-cost renewables at the vanguard. Low-cost renewables are central to the Government’s energy strategy and our sector will grow rapidly in the years ahead, as our domestic supply chain expands and we continue to seize multi-billion pound export opportunities around the world”.

BEIS also released statistics today covering the final three months of 2019, showing that wind set a new quarterly record by generating 22.3 per cent of UK electricity (onshore set a new record of 10.2TWh and offshore a new record of 9.2TWh). Renewables overall provided 37.4per cent (a record amount of 32.5TWh).

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