UK nuclear generation increased by 0.4% cent on 2012, to 19.8% of the total UK generation in 2013, according to preliminary figures released by the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). In 2013, coal accounted for 36.3% of UK generation, with gas 26.8%, and renewables 14.8%.
The share of generation from both coal and gas fell year on year, with gas’s share declining from 29% in 2012 to 28.6%, its lowest level for 17 years. Renewables’ share of electricity generation increased from 11.3 % in 2012 to 14.8 % in 2013.
Total electricity generated from nuclear in 2013, totaled 70.6 TWh, up from 70.4 TWh in 2012, according to the preliminary data.
Within the renewables segment, generation from onshore wind (16.5 TWh), offshore wind (10.9 TWh), solar PV (2.0 TWh) and bioenergy (18.7 TWh) all increased. However, generation from hydro fell by 10.7% to 4.7 TWh compared with a year earlier, due to lower rainfall in catchment areas in 2013.
Nuclear generation accounted for 19.7% of total electricity generated in the fourth quarter of 2013, up from the 17.2% share in the fourth quarter of 2012, due to increased availability, DECC said.
Electricity generated in 2013 also fell by 2.0%, from 363.8 TWh in 2012 to 356.7 TWh. DECC’s preliminary figures also indicated that electricity consumption was 0.5% lower than in 2012 and at its lowest level since 1998.
The preliminary statistics can be downloaded from the DECC website. More detailed annual data on energy production and consumption will be available in the 2014 Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics, which is due to be published at the end of July.
Chart: UK electricity generated in 2013 (Source: DECC preliminary figures. Rounded to nearest whole percentage)
