Wind takes lion's share of renewables growth

UK: Wind power is providing more than half the electricity generated by renewables, according to figures published today by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc).

by Shaun Campbell 27 June 2013

Offshore has provided the biggest rise in renewable energy over the last year

The statistics for the first quarter of 2013 show that wind power generation grew by more than 27% to 6.5TWh, from 5.1TWh for the same period last year.

Offshore wind generation expanded from 1.5TWh to 2.5TWh, an increase of 68%, while onshore generation rose 13%, from 3.6TWh to 4.0TWh.

According to the Decc, this growth was primarily due to much increased capacity. Average wind speeds in 2013 Q1 were 4.4m/s, fractionally down from 4.6m/sec in 2012 Q1.

Overall, renewables provided 12.3% of UK power in Q1 2013, compared with 11.3% for the same period in 2012. Wind power is now accounting for 52% of that figure, up from 45%.