UK Offshore Wind Generation Increases by 46.7 Pct in Q2

Energy Trends and Quarterly Energy Prices publications are published today 27 September 2012 by the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Energy Trends covers statistics on energy production and consumption, in total and by fuel, and provides an analysis of the year on year changes, and now includes a section on renewables.

Quarterly Energy Prices covers prices to domestic and industrial consumers, prices of oil products and comparisons of international fuel prices.

The main points for the second quarter of 2012 are:

• Indigenous production of fuels in the UK fell by 10.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2012 compared with a year earlier. Oil production fell by 12.2 per cent and natural gas production fell by 13.9; these falls were due to maintenance activity and slowdowns on a number of fields.
• Total primary energy consumption for energy uses rose by 6.3 per cent. However, when adjusted to take account of weather differences between the second quarter of 2011 and the second quarter of 2012, primary energy consumption rose by 0.8 per cent.
• Final energy consumption rose by 5.1 per cent, with domestic consumption up 32.8 per cent; domestic consumption in the second quarter of 2011 was particularly low due to warmer weather last year.
• Total deliveries of the key transport fuels were down 6.3 per cent when compared to the same period last year. Motor spirit deliveries fell by 10.6 per cent, with deliveries in April 2012 particularly low following a substantial increase in March 2012 in anticipation of a potential tanker drivers’ strike.
• Of electricity generated in the second quarter of 2012, gas accounted for 29.8 per cent (its lowest second quarter share in the last fourteen years) due to high gas prices, whilst coal accounted for 36.1 per cent (its highest second quarter share in the last fourteen years).
• Renewables’ share of electricity generation increased to 9.6 per cent from the 9.0 per cent share in the second quarter of 2011. Hydro generation decreased by 31.3 per cent on the second quarter of 2011 as a result of low rainfall. Over the same period, offshore wind generation increased by 46.7 per cent, whilst onshore wind generation fell by 11.4 per cent. Overall renewable generation was up 6.5 per cent compared to the same quarter in 2011.
• Domestic electricity prices, including VAT, were 5.5 per cent higher in real terms than in the same period last year, whilst domestic gas prices were 13.0 per cent higher.

For the period July to December 2011, prices for industrial electricity consumers, including taxes, were above the EU15 median for medium, large and extra-large consumers, but below the median for small consumers. Prices for industrial gas consumers were the lowest in the EU15 for all consumers.

Due to a delay in publication of the data by Eurostat, DECC does not have international comparisons for first 6 months of 2012. DECC plans to publish data for January to June 2012 on the DECC web site at the end of October, subject to Eurostat’s publication schedule.

The September 2012 edition of Energy Trends also includes articles on:

• Renewable electricity in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the regions of England in 2011
• Combined Heat and Power in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the regions of England in 2011
• Running hours during winter 2011/12 for plants opted-out of the Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD)
• Estimates of heat use in the United Kingdom in 2011
• Home insulation levels in Great Britain – methodological changes
• Feed-in Tariff statistics
• National Grid operational metering data and renewables
• New Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) table
• Number of properties benefitting through receipt of insulation measures and energy efficiency products from Energy Supplier obligations

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Press release, September 27, 2012; Image: DONG Energy