UK renewables generation increased by 19% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2024 to 32.8 terawatt-hours, according to government figures.
The performance was attributed largely to favourable weather conditions, with higher average wind speeds of around eight knots compared to 6.9 knots a year earlier.
Renewable sources accounted for a record 51.6% share of the electricity mix during the period, surpassing the previous 51.1% benchmark set in the preceding quarter and marking the third consecutive quarter where renewables delivered more than half the UK’s power.
Wind energy contributed 26.8% to the total, which was “an unusually high share for the second quarter when wind speeds tend to be lower than average”, according to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Onshore wind had a particularly strong performance over the three-month period, up 42% year-on-year to a record 7.3TWh, while offshore wind increased 13% to 9.7TWh.
“Generation was boosted by higher average wind speeds over the second quarter and onshore wind output had been affected by outages last year,” DESNZ stated.
Solar generation was down 9.5%, however, despite a 1.4GW increase in installed capacity, due to average sun hours being down roughly 20% on the previous year.
Overall, total UK energy production across all sectors was down 7% year-on-year due to lower fossil fuel generation, which in turn prompted a higher dependency on imports of oil products.
Sheena McGuinness, head of renewables at financial consultancy RSM UK, said: “If the UK wants to ensure energy independence, we need a concrete plan to transition away from fossil fuels to a more sustainable renewables future.
“Essentially, we need to get more renewable schemes approved, developed and crucially connected to the grid which currently can take years and is a real blocker to producing low carbon energy in this country.”
(Image is of ScottishPower Renewables’ 714MW East Anglia 1 wind farm off the east coast of England)