The decline in coal-fired power, together with the rise in renewable energy leads to the cleanest energy year on record for the UK. For the first time, the amount of zero carbon electricity used by the UK’s homes and businesses surpassed that from fossil fuels for a full twelve months.
In fact, it is said that zero-carbon energy became Britain’s largest electricity source in 2019, providing nearly half the country’s power and surpassing fossil fuels.
According to National Grid, operating and owning the electricity transmission network in England and Wales, as well as running the Scottish ones- 2019 was the cleanest energy year on record for Britain, after the dramatic decline in coal-fired power as well as the rise in renewable and low-carbon energy.
Namely, the latest data showcase that wind farms, solar and nuclear energy, alongside energy imported by subsea cables, delivered 48.5% of Britain’s electricity in 2019. This comes in comparison to 43% generated by fossil fuels – coal, gas, and other carbon sources such as oil and diesel. The remaining 8.5% was generated by biomass, such as wood pellets.
In June, National Grid said that the UK was being supplied with more power from zero-carbon sources than fossil fuels. This milestone has been achieved during the first five months of 2019. What is more, during the last 10 years, coal generation has fallen from 30% to 3%, while on the other hand, wind power went up from 1% to 19%. In addition, in May the UK recorded its first coal-free fortnight and provided record levels of solar power for two days in a row.
Furthermore, Nation Grid comments that “this historic milestone comes as we enter the mid-point between 1990 and 2050 – the year in which the UK has committed to achieve at least a 100% reduction in emissions based on 1990 levels.”
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It is also stressed that withing the last ten years, fossil fuels generated more than three-quarters of all electricity, while zero-carbon sources accounted for 22.8%, with wind at 1.3%. Coal plants provided almost a third of the UK’s electricity. This has dropped to 1.9%.
National Grid CEO John Pettigrew commented that “as we enter a new decade, this truly is a historic moment and an opportunity to reflect on how much has been achieved.”
Notably, data show a dramatic shift in the last two decades; wind farms, solar panels and hydro power now generate just over a quarter of Britain’s electricity, compared with 2.3% in 1990. Nuclear power accounts for 17%, compared with nearly 20% in 1990. However, the use of gas, which is a fossil fuel, further shot up to generate more than 38% of the country’s power last year, compared with just 0.1% in 1990.
The CEO added that
At National Grid, we know we have a critical role in the acceleration towards a cleaner future and are committed to playing our part in delivering a safe and secure energy system that works for all.
It was further said that in December, National Grid unveiled plans to invest almost £10bn in the UK’s gas and electricity networks over the next five years. Of this, about £1bn has been earmarked for the transition to a net zero carbon electricity system by 2025, including investments in new equipment and technology.
Lastly, a further £85m will be invested with the aim to support changes to the ways people heat their homes- switching away from gas boilers to technologies such as electric heat pumps and hydrogen boilers, as National Grid estimates that more than 23 million homes will need to install new low-carbon heating solutions by 2050.
It was also in 2019 when Norwegian oil firm Equinor and its partner SSE secured contracts by the UK authorities to develop three large scale offshore wind projects in the Dogger Bank region of the North Sea. This will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm development with a total installed capacity of 3.6 GW.
The Dogger Bank wind farm, to consist of three projects, Creyke Beck A, Creyke Beck B and Teesside A, are expected to produce enough energy to power the equivalent of 4.5 million UK homes. The Dogger Bank projects are estimated to trigger a total capital investment of approximately GBP 9 billion between 2020 and 2026. The first project is expected to be operational in 2023, and the lease is given for 50 years.
