Renewable electricity generation will outpace the generation of electricity. from fossil fuels for the first time for an entire year, according to a think tank.
While particularly windy periods This means that on some days over the past few years, renewable energy has dominated as turbines power the grid, marking the first time in an entire calendar year that renewable energy has come from burning oil, gas and coal. Will be more than electricity.
According to think tank Amber, the shift is largely due to declining coal, gas and oil production, as well as increasing wind, solar and biomass power.
Britain’s last coal-fired power stationat Ratcliffe-on-Soar, was closed this year, reducing emissions and ending Britain’s 142-year dependence on the fuel.
Wind, solar and hydropower will contribute 37% of the UK’s electricity this year, while fossil fuels – mainly natural gas – account for 35% – with nuclear and biofuels making up the rest.
Just three years ago, fossil fuels accounted for 46 percent of electricity generation, with only 27 percent for renewables. In 2000, about three-quarters of electricity was generated from fossil fuels, with most of the remainder coming from a large nuclear industry.
Onshore wind production grew by 23% in the first nine months of the year. Onshore wind is very cheap to install and maintain once planning permission is granted.
“The end of the de facto offshore wind ban in July 2024 is expected to increase deployment rates in England over the near-medium term, as part of progress towards a clean electricity system in 2030,” the analysis said. Analysis says.
It says offshore wind has had a “slow year”, although there are a number of major projects which will be completed in the coming years and will add 3.8 gigawatts of electricity to the UK’s 75 gigawatt capacity.
“The future of renewables is here,” said Frankie Mayo, an analyst at Ember. “This long-awaited milestone is testament to how far the UK has come. Now is the time to seize the moment to reduce dependence on expensive gas with new renewables, storage, and grid upgrades. After the phase-out of coal power this year, reducing gas consumption is the next big opportunity for the country.
Another driver has been electricity imports. Neighbors such as France, with their large fleets of nuclear power stations, offer cheap power generation and the UK can buy its electricity via undersea cables.
The report states: “Several factors have combined to help reduce fossil fuel use in recent years, including renewables, lower electricity demand and higher net electricity imports. In the coming years, it is expected that Power supply will increase power demand.
“However, the overall direction of travel is clear, with clean energy targets aiming to reduce expensive gas power to less than 5 percent of total generation by 2030, down from 30 percent in 2024.”