UK bioenergy generation up 17% in Q1

U.K. renewable energy generation increased by 30 percent during the first quarter of 2020, reaching 40.8 terawatt hours (TWh), according to data released by the U.K. Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on Sept. 10. Renewables accounted for 47 percent of electricity generation during the period, up 11.1 percent when compared to the same period of 2019.

Total renewable electricity capacity in the U.K. was at 47.7 gigawatts (GW) at the end of the first quarter, up 5.2 percent when compared the same period of the previous year.

Generation from bioenergy sources reached 10.4 TWh during the first quarter, up 17 percent when compared to the same period of last year. The BEIS said the main component of this increase was the 1.2 TWh increase in electricity generated from plant biomass.

Bioenergy accounted for 25.5 percent of renewable generation during the quarter. Offshore wind, onshore wind, hydro and solar photovoltaics (PV) accounted for a respective 32.4 percent, 31.4 percent, 6 percent and 4.7 percent of renewables generation.

Bioenergy accounted for 16.6 percent of U.K. renewables capacity during the quarter. Onshore wind, solar PV, offshore wind, and hydro accounted for 29.8 percent, 28.2 percent, 21.4 percent, and 4 percent, respectively.

Additional data is available on the BEIS website.