RenewableUK has welcomed new statistics which show that a record 11.3% of the nation’s electricity was generated from renewable sources in 2012. This represents an increase of almost 2% on the previous year, when 9.4% came from renewables.
The official Energy Trends figures, released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, also show that in the last three months of 2012, a record 12.5% of the UK’s electricity was generated from renewables.
DECC says the increase is due to greater installed capacity – particularly in onshore and offshore wind, which generated nearly half (47%) of Britain’s renewable electricity.
The largest absolute increase in electricity generation from renewables came from offshore wind – up by 46% in 2012 compared to the year before. Onshore wind was up 15% in the same period.
RenewableUK’s Director of External Affairs, Jennifer Webber , said:
“These new figures provide further proof that the transition from old-school fossil fuels to modern low-carbon generation is surging ahead. A record 1.2 gigawatts of new onshore and offshore wind was installed in 2012. Wind now has the capacity to power more than four and three-quarter million British homes using our greatest natural resource. That’s an achievement the UK can be proud of – but we have the potential to do much more.
“This is a crucial year for the entire energy sector, as the ground-breaking Energy Bill is going through parliament. These latest statistics make a strong case for Parliament to do everything in its power to encourage the upward trajectory of renewables. That means pinning down the fine details of the new framework, providing clarity on every aspect of financial support, and setting out a clear industrial strategy for offshore wind beyond 2020, to demonstrate the Government’s long term commitment to clean up the way we generate the UK’s electricity.”
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Press release, March 29, 2013; Image: SUSPLAN