UK renewables power ahead

Renewable energy technologies generated 15.5% of the UK's electricity in the second quarter of 2013, up from the 9.7% recorded in the same period in 2012, according to Decc

The latest statistics also reveal that renewables generated 12.8 TWh of electricity over the three months, a 55.8% rise on the 8.5 TWh last year.

Overall renewable electricity capacity at the end of June 2013 totalled 19.5 GW, a 38% increase on a year earlier, and all renewable technologies recorded a rise in electricity generation. Onshore and offshore wind generation were 69.9% and 50.9% higher respectively, while bioenergy generation was up 58.3%.

Decc reports that electricity from onshore wind facilities increased from 2.2 TWh to 3.8 TWh, due to increased capacity and high wind speeds. The return of the Tilbury power station – which was converted to biomass in 2011 – to operations earlier this year after a fire, as well as the conversion of the Ironbridge power station and one unit at the Drax power complex to dedicated biomass pushed, bioenergy generation up from 3.3 TWh in the second quarter of 2012 to 5.2 TWh in 2013.

Maf Smith, deputy chief executive at RenewableUK, said the figures confirmed that renewables were steadily becoming more important in meeting the UK’s electricity needs, and follows renewables’ record share of electricity generation in the previous quarter, when it reached 12.5%.

“The fact that we have seen the record for renewables generation broken twice in the space of a few months shows the progress being made in the race to decarbonise our economy and secure our future electricity supply,” he said.

RenewableUK revealed recently that the number of people directly employed in the UK’s wind and marine energy sectors has increased by 74% since 2010, and now totals 18,465. The industries also support a further 15,908 indirect jobs, according to the research. RenewableUK forecast that a further 70,000 jobs would be created in the industries over the next 10 years.