Renewables overtake gas for first time

Renewable electricity generation has outstripped gas for the first time, according to the latest UK government quarterly energy statistics.

The Energy Trends statistics for the third quarter of 2019, which were published this morning (19 December) by the department for business, energy and industrial strategy (BEIS), shows that renewables’ share of electricity generation increased to a record 38.9 per cent.

This figure was up from 32.9 per cent in the third quarter of 2018, “marginally” surpassing the share of generation from gas (38.8 per cent) for the first time.

The increase in renewable power was chiefly driven by a one third growth in wind generation compared to the third quarter of 2018 – to 14.1 TWh.

The statistics also show that offshore wind exceeded onshore wind generation for the first time as a result of increased capacity.

Onshore wind generation grew by 24 per cent year on year, compared to 43 per cent for offshore wind, driven by a 21 per cent increase in capacity.

Generation from solar photovoltaics fell by 2.8 per cent to 4.4 TWh as increased capacity was countered by reduced average sunlight hours across the quarter. However, the wettest August since 2000 helped to propel a 58 per cent increase in generation from hydro to 1.4 TWh.

Renewable electricity capacity totalled 46.9 GW at the end of the third quarter of 2019, a rise of 7.2 per cent (3.2 GW) on a year earlier, 55 per cent of which was accounted for by more offshore wind farms.

Nuclear generation accounted for 18.4 per cent of total electricity generated in third quarter, lower than the previous year because of maintenance outages.

However, the boom in renewables capacity meant that low carbon electricity’s share of generation accounted for a record 57.3 per cent in the third quarter of 2019, up from 55.9 per cent for the equivalent period of 2018.

Conversely, the share of generation from fossil fuels decreased to a record low of 40.1 per cent over the same quarter.

While the share of generation from gas fired stations remained steady, that of coal fell to exactly one per cent with generators’ consumption of the fuel falling by 58 per cent to 300,000 tonnes.

Overall generation was 74 TWh – down 1.5 per cent compared to the third quarter of 2018, while gas demand fell by the same proportion.