Wind power blows renewables to record share of UK electricity
Offshore and onshore wind set new records for power production and their share of the UK electricity market
Wind power generated a record share of the UK’s electricity last year, propelling renewable energy to meet almost half of the country’s power needs, according to new government statistics.
Renewable energy outstripped fossil fuel-based generation for the third time in four years in 2023, marginally exceeding previous records for output, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero reported today.
Onshore and offshore wind produced their highest annual percentages of electricity ever, whilst offshore wind and solar also set new records for generation.
Renewables provided 46.4% of the UK’s electricity last year, up from 41.5% in 2022. This was comfortably ahead of the 36.7% of power that came from fossil fuels, a record annual low (fossil fuels produced 40.8% in 2022).
Renewables marginally surpassed the previous record for the amount of electricity generated (135TWh) set last year.
“As these record-breaking figures show, renewables are now the backbone of the UK’s electricity system, keeping the country powered up as we transition away from expensive fossil fuels towards cheap electricity and our net zero goals,” said RenewableUK CEO Dan McGrail.
“The less gas we use, the more protection billpayers have against volatile gas prices, so every clean energy project takes us a step closer to energy independence and real security.”
Wind remains the UK’s biggest source of clean power, generating a record 28.1% of its electricity in 2023 (a record 82.3TWh), beating the previous best of 24.7% (80.3TWh) in 2022. Wind provided over 60% of all renewable electricity last year.
A best ever 17% of the UK’s electricity was produced by offshore wind (a record 49.7TWh) beating 13.8% in 2022 (45TWh), while onshore wind provided a record 11.2% (compared to 10.8% in 2022).
The UK renewables sector is riding a new wave of optimism following the election of a Labour government that has set bold pledges to double onshore wind, triple solar and quadruple offshore wind by 2030, by which time it wants to run a net zero electricity grid.