Renewable energies became the largest source of electricity generation in the UK for the first time in 2020, ahead of fossil fuels, according to a study published Thursday.
Wind, solar, biomass and hydropower have generated 42% of Britain's electricity, says think tank Ember, which has worked with Germany's Agora Energiewende.
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At the same time, fossil fuels, mainly gas, accounted for 41% of the total.
The balance of power has been reversed, since in 2019, 37% of electricity came from renewables and 45% from fossil fuels.
The rise of wind power
The United Kingdom, which is organizing the COP26 in Glasgow in a few months, is benefiting in particular from the boom in wind energy, particularly the installations off the country's windy coasts.
Wind power, which is one of the priorities of Boris Johnson's Conservative government, alone accounted for 24% of electricity in 2020, twice as much as five years earlier.
Gas still represents 37% even if its share continues to decline.
On the other hand, coal no longer weighs very heavily, with only 2% of electricity production, while the country has decided to stop its use by 2025. The share of nuclear has reached 17% and the public authorities intend to maintain it at this level, which should help achieve the carbon neutrality objective for the country in 2050.
The end of gas as a source of electricity
“
Given Boris Johnson's goal of increasing offshore wind capacity to 40 gigawatts in 2030, gas will see its share decline rapidly in the 2020s,
” said Charles Moore, an Ember manager.
"
It is clear that the UK is moving towards phasing out gas as a source of electricity by 2035 as recommended by the climate change commission
," he said.
This commission, which advises the government, pleads to close gas power stations which would not have implemented CO2 capture technologies by 2035. The demand for electricity is expected to grow rapidly in the country with the rise of vehicles green and switching from gas boilers to electric in homes.
