UK renewables up 9% makes 2019 greenest year yet
The UK’s use of renewable energies was up 9.0% in 2019, outpacing that of fossil fuel plants on 137 days, which made for the greenest year to date.
According to the latest report by the Carbon Brief website, which used data from BM Reports and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), energy from wind, solar, hydro and biomass projects contribution to the country's supplies in March, August, September and December.
Around 54.0% of UK electricity generation in 2019 came from low-carbon sources, including 37.0% from renewables and 20.0% from wind alone. A record-low 43.0% came from fossil fuels, with 41.0% provided by natural gas and just 2.0% from coal.
The data also revealed that energy output from the UK’s windfarms overtook nuclear for the first time ever last year.
As a result of the surge in renewables, the use of fossil fuel energy had fallen 6.0% from 2018's levels and had halved since the start of the decade, while the number of coal-free days increased from 21 in 2018 to 83.
National Grid, which managed Britain’s high-voltage electricity transmission network, was aiming for the system to be fossil fuel free by 2025, at least for short periods.
Simon Evans, the author of Carbon Brief’s report, said: “Our analysis shows that rapid gains in decarbonising the power sector can’t be taken for granted and won’t just continue to magically happen forever.
“The government’s seemingly ambitious target to roll out 40GW of offshore wind by 2030 won’t happen without policies to back it up – and it may not be enough on its own to meet UK climate goals, without contributions from onshore wind, solar or further new nuclear.”
Britain has set a legally binding target to create a carbon-neutral economy by 2050, meaning that the country must only emit as much carbon as it is able to capture and store.
The nominal 100gCO2/kWh target for 2030 was set in the context of the UK’s less ambitious goal of cutting emissions below 80% of 1990 levels by 2050. Now that the country is aiming to cut emissions to net-zero by 2050, that 100gCO2/kWh target is likely to be the bare minimum.
An additional 100 terrawatt hours of low-carbon generation, equivalent to roughly 60% of the current total, will be required in order to meet targets.