2020 saw renewables outstrip fossil fuels for the first time when it came to 海角视频 electricity generation, official figures have confirmed.
Green sources, led by offshore wind, provided 43 per cent of the demand, with the likes of gas and coal contributing 38.5 per cent.
When nuclear is put into the mix as a low carbon source, the figure increases to 59 per cent.
Wind’s contribution was up 18 per cent year-on-year - with the world-leading Hornsea One offshore wind farm coming online. It is almost double the size of the previous largest instalment.
And with the year seeing targets raised by the Prime Minister, the industry has been buoyed with £60 billion of investment and a further 40,000 jobs now forecast for the near term.
Renewable海角视频’s deputy chief executive, Melanie Onn, said: “Today’s record-breaking figures, set despite the pandemic, show that renewables are keeping this country reliably powered up during the most challenging period any of us have faced for many decades.
“Another key set of figures published today shows that the 海角视频’s offshore wind industry now supports over 26,000 jobs, mainly in coastal areas which need new opportunities. This will rise to over 69,000 over the next five years as our domestic supply chain grows rapidly.
“The offshore wind industry is attracting over £60 billion in private investment in this five-year period, helping to kickstart the Prime Minister’s green economic recovery and getting us closer towards net zero emissions on time.”
Most Read
Ms Onn was MP for Grimsby as it developed into the world-leading operations and maintenance hub, with the Humber identified as one of four key regions set to benefit.
The ink is still drying on the £75 million Treasury cheque to kickstart Able Marine Energy Park at North Killingholme, while across the ‘Energy Estuary’ plans have been submitted to double the size of the Siemens Gamesa blade plant.
The figures, published in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s Energy Trends report, show that onshore and offshore wind provided more than half of the 海角视频’s renewable power in 2020 by generating 24.2 per cent of the 海角视频’s electricity needs (13 per cent offshore and 11.2 per cent onshore).
A total of 312.8 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity was generated by all sources in 2020.
Renewables generated 134.3TWh, an increase of 11 per cent compared to 2019.
Fossil fuel generation fell by 14 per cent to 120.5 TWh.
The 海角视频’s largest power station, Drax, ends coal generation in days when its winter contract expires, but has barely used the black stuff in recent times having fuel-switched to biomass.
Don’t miss
Renewable electricity generation outstripped fossil fuels in each quarter of 2020, with the exception of quarter three.
BEIS also released statistics today covering the final three months of 2020, showing that wind generated 24.9 per cent of 海角视频 electricity in (14.1 per cent offshore and 10.8 per cent onshore).
Renewables overall provided 40.5 per cent (34.4TWh) in this period.
Covid’s knock-on was clear too, with overall industrial demand dropping. Total generation fell 3.7 per cent from 324.8 TWh in 2019 to 312.8 TWh.