Renewable power reaches record high as capacity grows

Renewable generation in 2022 matched 2020’s record high despite less favourable weather conditions, according to new government statistics.

The latest edition of the government’s quarterly energy trends, the first published by the recently established Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, shows that renewable generation was 134.8 TWh in 2022, a 10% increase compared to 2021, matching 2020’s record high figure.

Wind generation reached record levels, up 24% to 80.2 TWh.

However while the previous 2020 record for renewable generation was driven by favourable weather conditions, the document says 2022’s surge was chiefly down to an increase in wind and solar power of 3.8GW, more than in any year since 2018.

In addition wind speeds and sun hours were higher than the unusually low levels seen in 2021.

The increase in renewable generation happened despite an 11% decrease in output from bioenergy plants, which was down to 35.4 TWh, due to outages at key sites.

Renewable’s share of generation rose from 39.6% to 41.4%.

Nuclear generation was up 4% to 47.7 TWh, despite a 25% drop in operational capacity following the January 2022 closure of the Hunterston B plant and the start of defueling at Hinkley Point B in August.

The increases in renewable and nuclear generation pushed up the share from low carbon sources to 56%, 1.5 percentage points higher than in 2021.

Meanwhile, generation from fossil fuels increased 0.5%, compared to 2021, to 132.1 TWh on the back of demand for electricity exports.

Generation from gas was 124.7 TWh, a 1.2% increase compared to 2021. In contrast though, generation from coal decreased by 13% to 5.7 TWh, just 0.2 TWh above the record low seen in 2020.

The overall fossil fuel share of generation dropped from 42.6% in 2021 to 40.8% in 2022.

Total electricity generation increased 5.6% to 326 TWh in 2022 despite a 3.5% drop in demand. The difference was accounted for by record electricity exports of 20.8 TWh, driven by demand from France as its nuclear plants suffered a series of outages.

These annual patterns were reflected in the figures for the last quarter of the year.

Demand for electricity was down 5.1% compared to the same quarter in 2021, while total electricity generation was 1.4% per cent higher at 84.7 TWh with the difference once again accounted for by high electricity exports.

A 6.6% fall in domestic demand is explained in the document by a combination of dampened consumption due to higher electricity prices and a return to office work and non-domestic leisure as Covid restrictions ended. Industrial electricity consumption saw an even bigger drop of seven per cent compared to the last quarter of 2021.

Higher average sun hours and increased capacity fuelled a 26% rise in solar generation during the fourth quarter of the year, although lower average rainfall meant hydro generation was down by 13%.

Commenting on the new figures, RenewableUK’s Executive Director of Policy Ana Musat said: “These record-breaking statistics show that wind is playing the leading role in Britain’s modern clean energy mix, keeping homes and businesses powered up using our superb natural resources.

“Wind is our cheapest source of power and every unit of electricity we generate from it means burning one less unit of fossil fuel. Wind is the key to cutting our dependence on expensive, volatile imported gas and reducing energy bills. But the international competition for investment in renewables is intense, so we’re urging the government to make Britain the most attractive country for building new clean energy projects. This will enable us to create tens of thousands of jobs and attract billions in investment, as well as ensuring that we can move faster towards our climate change goals”.