The move to renewable energy sources in the UK has helped drive a faster rate of decarbonisation over the last decade than anywhere else in the world, according to a new study by Imperial College London for Drax Electric Insights.
The report – ‘Electric Insights Quarterly October to December 2019’ – said carbon emissions in Britain’s power sector fell by around two thirds to 54 million tonnes in 2019 from 161 million tonnes in 2010.
This was driven by a shift away from coal and natural gas to clean power, the report said.
Electricity demand, which fell 13% over the decade, delivered around a third of the decline in carbon emissions in the sector over the period, while wind energy delivered a quarter of the reduction, it added.
The fall in power demand came despite the population growing by 7% and GDP rising by a quarter, as measures such as more energy efficient lighting, manufacturing and other efficiency measures took hold.
But, the report warned that the decline could be reversed in the years ahead with the rise in the use of electric vehicles and household heat pumps, meaning further decarbonisation cannot be achieved through a reduction in demand alone.
It also said a greater reliance on weather-dependent sources will mean “system operability will undoubtedly become more difficult in the years to come”, with a need for increased system support services and greater flexibility.
Lead author of the report Imperial College London’s Iain Staffell said: “In the past decade, we’ve seen unprecedented changes in Britain’s power system, which has transformed at a speed never seen before.
“Several factors made significant contributions to falling emissions including carbon prices, coal retirements, conversions to biomass and the growth in wind capacity.
“But reductions in electricity demand dwarfed all the others – helping to push down power prices and environmental impacts.
“If this pace of change can be maintained, renewables could provide more than half Britain’s electricity by the end of this decade and the power system could be practically carbon free.”
Biomass provided a bigger reduction in emissions and wholesale power prices than solar power relative to the size of its installed capacity, the report said.
Drax chief executive of generation Andy Koss said: “Replacing coal with sustainable biomass at Drax has cut our carbon emissions by more than 80%, transforming the business to become the largest renewable power generator in the UK, accelerating decarbonisation over the decade as well as supporting lower wholesale power prices.
“As the UK strives to achieve its world-leading net zero carbon target, it’s clear the power system will have to continue evolving and many different solutions, including negative emissions technologies like bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), will be needed alongside more renewables.”
Drax said it supplies 12% of the UK’s renewable electricity using sustainable biomass.