Energy Minister Charles Hendry, welcoming the rise in renewables, said it showed the UK to be ‘powering forward on clean and secure energy’ and ‘clearly a very attractive place to invest’.
In terms of total energy share, renewables is now at 3.8% of consumption, compared to 3.2% in 2010. At the same time, oil production fell by 13% in the first quarter while gas fell 14.1% as a result of maintenance and slowdowns on a number of fields.
Total primary energy consumption also declined, however, falling 2.3% between 2011 and 2012, although that equates to a weather-adjusted decline of 1.1%.
Of electricity generated, gas accounted for 27%, its lowest share in 14 years; coal was on 42% and nuclear on 17%, down from 19% in the first quarter of 2011.
The detailed listing of performance by renewables, shows onshore wind up 51% to 3.6 TWh, due to increased capacity; hydro up 43%, due to high winter rainfall; offshore wind up 50% and bioenergy up 21%, due in part to Tilbury B’s move to biomass.
edie staff