Gas Stays at Top of UK Power Mix
The UK generated more power from gas in 2017 than any other fuel for the fourth year running.
Gas generated 40%, or 133.3 TWh, of the UK’s electricity generation last year (336 TWh). Coal trailed in fifth place (23 TWh), behind both nuclear (70 TWh), wind/solar (61 TWh) and bio-energy (32 TWh) based on data for all generating companies from the government’s department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Beis) published March 29.
In western Europe, the UK is the biggest user of gas in power generation. Moreover since 2000, gas has lagged behind coal in UK generation in only three years: 2006, 2012 and 2013.
Coal generation in the UK has declined by 84% since 2012 and its share of generation by 33 percentage points to just 6.7% in 2017 as the UK’s £18 ($25.3)/metric tonne minimum carbon price has eroded coal’s economic viability. UK renewables though are catching up on gas: making up a record 29% of generation in 2017, up 5 percentage points on 2016 and 18 points on 2012.
Gas used by UK power generators in 2017 was 26.7bn m3 (down 3.6% on 2016’s volume) and accounting for one-third of the gas consumed in the UK last year.
In 4Q 2017, gas made up 39% of UK generation, down 6 points year on year, whereas coal was flat at 9%. Gas used in UK generation in 4Q 2017 amounted to 7.2bn m3, down 10.6% year on year. But wind/solar then reached a record high to become the second highest source of generation at 20%, overtaking nuclear, while hydro also gained strongly on a year-on-year increase in rainfall of 54% in 4Q.
Banner photo is King's Lynn gas-fired power plant (Photo credit: Centrica)