More than half of the UK’s power was supplied by renewables for the first time on 30 June, according research by Drax Electric Insights.
The researchers said 39% of the country’s electricity was supplied by wind, 9% by solar, 8% by biomass and 1% by hydro.
On the same day, the carbon intensity of the power supply hit a record low of 97 grams per kilowatt-hour, down from the previous low of 104g/kWh last summer, Drax said.
Imperial College London’s Iain Staffell, who worked independently via Imperial Consultants to analyse Drax’s Electric Insights data, said: “Britain’s power system is decarbonising at a faster rate than any other country in the world.
“We have spent more than half the summer without a single coal power station turned on, and renewables are breaking new records all the time.
“As a result our power stations are producing 100 million tonnes less CO2 per year than they were just six years ago.
“The amount of carbon saved is equivalent to taking every single car and van off the UK’s roads, or what would be produced if every single person in the UK flew to Beijing and back.
“It’s fantastic progress, but we still have a long way to go to meet our net zero carbon targets.
“To make a real difference to the climate crisis, we must waste no time in using this low-carbon electricity to clean up our transport and buildings.”