UK renewable power generation sets new records, government confirms

Renewable energy generated a record annual percentage of the UK’s electricity last year, statistics published by the Government confirmed.

The Digest of UK Energy Statistics, published by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) on Tuesday, showed the amount of UK electricity generated by wind, solar and hydro outstripped fossil fuels for the third time in four years.

Renewables’ share increased to a record 46.4% – up from 41.7% in 2022, largely due to wind and solar generation shares reaching new record highs, the annual report says.

Meanwhile, electricity generation from fossil fuels fell to a record low of 36.7% – although generation from gas remained the principal form of UK electricity generation at 34.7%.

Less favourable weather

Wind remains the UK’s biggest source of clean power, accounting for more than 60% of all renewable electricity generation last year, and a record 28.1% of total electricity generation.

It comes as the increases in wind and solar generation capacity offset the slightly less favourable weather conditions in 2023, the report said.

DESNZ noted that these records come both with more stable renewable generation and lower overall electricity generation.

Total electricity generation fell by a tenth in 2023 due lower UK demand and lower exports, it said.

The demand decrease – down by 1.1% from 2022 to levels last seen in the 1980s – was likely driven by households and businesses cutting back on electricity use due to high prices and warmer annual temperatures that led to less heating use.

‘A renewable backbone’

Dan McGrail, Renewable UK’s chief executive, said: “As these record-breaking figures show, renewables are now the backbone of the UK’s electricity system, keeping the country powered up as we transition away from expensive fossil fuels towards cheap electricity and our net zero goals.

“The less gas we use, the more protection billpayers have against volatile gas prices, so every clean energy project takes us a step closer to energy independence and real security.

“The industry is working closely with the new Government to ensure we unlock billions of pounds of private sector investment in renewables by maximising each annual auction for new projects to go ahead, creating tens of thousands of high-quality jobs and building up new supply chains all over the country.

“The new Government has hit the ground running by announcing a Planning and Infrastructure Bill in the King’s Speech and lifting the de facto onshore wind ban in England, as well as launching Great British Energy which will own and invest in projects across a range of technologies, helping the UK to become a clean energy superpower.”

Elsewhere, UK energy production, which includes all energy such as fuels for transport and not just that used for electricity generation, fell in b 8.3% to a record low, the figures show.

Hydro highs

Many fuels reached record lows, with oil production, coal and nuclear output all falling.

Meanwhile, output from wind, solar and hydro reached a record high last year, but still form under 10% of total UK production, DESNZ said.

Net energy imports also rose to 40.8% last year – up from 37.0% in 2022, according to the report.

This was partly due to gas trade decreasing because of lower demand from Europe, which had scrambled to replace the shortfall caused by moving away from Russian gas in 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine, it said.