Electricity Generation

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Total electricity generation from renewables in 2008 amounted to 21,597 GWh, an increase of 1,952 GWh (+10%) on 2007. The main contributors to this substantial increase were 1,301 GWh from onshore wind (+29%), 523 GWh (+67%) from offshore wind, 159 GWh from plant biomass (+39%), 80 GWh (+2%) from landfill gas, 69 GWh from sewage sludge digestion (+14%), 48 GWh (+4%) from municipal solid waste combustion, and 46 GWh from large scale hydro (+1%). However there was a 343 GWh decrease in co-firing of biomass with fossil fuels (-18%).

Generation from wind (both onshore and offshore) was the largest renewables technology in output terms in 2008, with 33% of the electricity generated from renewables being from wind, 24% was from hydro sources, 22% from landfill gas, 7% from co-firing, and 14% from other biofuels.

As a result, all renewable sources provided 5.5% of the electricity generated in the United Kingdom in 2008, 0.43 perce6ntage points higher than in 2007. This chart shows the growth in the proportion of electricity produced from renewable sources. It includes the progress towards the renewables targets set under the RO and RD.

There was a 1,102 MWe increase (+19%) in the installed generating capacity of renewable sources in 2008, mainly as a result of a 737 MWe increase (+35%) in onshore wind capacity and a 192 MWe increase (+49%) in offshore wind capacity. There was also a 98 MWe increase (+7%) in the capacity using large scale hydro, and a 49 MWe increase (+15%) in capacity fuelled by waste combustion.

The following charts have been taken from the 'Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics'.

Electrical generating capacity of renewable energy (excluding large scale hydro)
Growth in electrical generation from renewable sources since 1990

The Table below shows the growth in the proportion of electricity produced from renewable sources, expressed as percentages for each of the last six years, including progress towards the renewables targets set under the Renewables Obligation and Renewables Directive:

Pelamis Wave Generator Trials (Images courtesy of Ocean Power Delivery Ltd)

Percentages of electricity derived from renewable sources

	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
Overall renewables percentage International basis Electricity generated from all renewables and wastes as a percentage of all electricity generated in the UK	2.7	3.6	4.3	4.5	5.0	5.5
Percentage on a Renewables Obligation basis Electricity generated from renewables eligible for the Renewables Obligation, as a percentage of electricity sales by licensed suppliers in the UK	2.2	3.1	4.0	4.4	4.9	5.3
Percentage on a Renewables Directive basis Electricity generated from renewable sources eligible under the EU Directive - ie all renewables except non-biodegradable wastes - as a percentage of UK electricity consumption)	2.6	3.5	4.2	4.5	4.9	5.4