In Q1 of 2020, renewables generated a record 47% of the UK’s electricity, according to new figures from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
Together, wind, solar, hydro and other renewables smashed last year’s total of 35.9% thanks to increased capacities and higher wind speeds through February when a number of storms battered the UK. By the end of March, renewable capacity was 47.4GW, an increase of 5.2GW from the same period the year previously.
BEIS’s quarterly report showed that wind generated 30% of the UK’s power between January and March, with 14.7% from onshore wind and 15.2% from offshore. This beat the previous wind generation high, recorded in Q4 of 2019 when wind generated 22.3%.
The new record generation represents 40.8 TWh, beating 32.5TWh in Q4 2019, with wind again the largest contributor.
In Q1, wind generated 26TWh, jumping significantly from 19.4TWh in Q4 2019. Of this, onshore wind provided 12.8TWh (beating the previous record of 9.8TWh in Q1 2019) and offshore wind provided 13.2TWh (beating its previous record of 10.2TWh in Q4 2019).
Overall, low carbon generation – renewables and nuclear – provided 62.1%, while fossil fuels sank to a record low of just 35.4%.
Coal power generation reached a record low level, down 26% compared to Q1 2019. This trend is expected to continue when Q2 statistics are released, as the UK marked a historic milestone by keeping coal off the grid for over two months between April and June, thanks to surging renewables and low demand caused by the COVID-19 lockdown.
Read more: Current News
