Increased capacity and high load factors for wind energy boosted renewable output to record levels in the first three months of the year, according to government statistics.
A total of 40.8 terrawatt-hours (TWh) was generated between 1 January and the end of March, up 9.4TWh or 30% compared with the same period in 2019.
Clean power represented 47% of electricity generated in the period, up 11.1 percentage points on Q1 2019.
This is the first time green power has exceeded 40% of total electricity generated in the country.
Installed capacity for renewables was 47.4GW at the end of the first quarter, a 5.2% increase on last year.
The increase was mainly down to more offshore wind coming online – up 19% or 1.6GW.
Offshore wind generation grew 53% to 13.2TWh, while onshore output grew 29% to 12.8TWh.
In total, wind power generated 7.5TWh more in the first three months of 2020 than in the same period of last year.
The sector contributed 30% of total electricity generated.
Solar generation fell 11% in the quarter to 1.9TWh from 2.2TWh.