Coal Returns As Most Used Fuel For Electricity Generation New Government Statistics Show

After being briefly displaced by gas, coal
returned to its place as the UK's most used fuel for electricity
generation towards the end of 2014, new government statistics
show.

At the same time, low-carbon electricity
generation fell slightly as two nuclear power reactors were
unexpectedly taken offline and wind speeds slowed.

The data shows the UK's continued reliance on the most
carbon-intensive fuel source for its power, and the energy system's sensitivity to international fuel-price volatility.

Carbon Brief goes through the Department of Energy and Climate
Change's latest
energy trends statistics, which provides data up to the end of
November 2014.

COAL USE INCREASES

Gas was the most used fuel for electricity generation during the
third quarter of 2014, bucking a long-term trend. But, in November, coal generation overtook gas generation for the first time in five
months.

Source:
DECC energy trends, UK electricity supply

The main reason for the switch was that gas prices rose
significantly, as coal prices fell. Throughout last summer, gas was relatively cheap, but the price spiked in September:

Source:
Energy Solutions, UK wholesale gas prices

The data shows how that UK's electricity generation mix remains
sensitive to volatile international fossil fuel prices. As Carbon
Brief showed after DECC's last statistical release, that can have a

significant effect on the UK's emissions.

LOW-CARBON GENERATION FALLS

In further bad news for the UK's emissions, electricity supplied
by low-carbon sources fell at the end of the year due to two nuclear reactors being taken offline and low wind speeds.

Nuclear, wind, hydro and biomass power plants accounted for 26
per cent of the UK's electricity supply in November 2014, down from a 12-month high of 35 per cent in December 2013, and three per cent less than November 2013.

Source:
DECC energy trends, low-carbon electricity supply

Unexpected faults in the casings of two nuclear reactors meant
2.3 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity was taken offline in
August.

An increase in wind-power generation due to high wind speeds
covered the shortfall to an extent in October. But wind speeds
decreased in November, causing low-carbon generation's share to
fall. Low wind speeds in September had a similar effect on
low-carbon electricity generation.

Source:
DECC energy trends, wind speeds

The UK's emissions will have been tempered slightly by a slight
decrease in demand throughout the year. In November, once the
figures have been adjusted for variable temperatures, consumption
decreased by 0.5 per cent compared to October. Consumption fell six per cent compared to a year before.

So DECC's latest data shows the UK is becoming gradually more
energy efficient, but continues to rely on coal, the most polluting energy source, to provide the largest share of its electricity.

It also shows that the UK's diverse mix of renewables means
low-carbon sources can account for more than a quarter of the UK's
electricity supply even when there are major unexpected nuclear
outages. Nonetheless, renewables' overall contribution
unsurprisingly largely remains dependent on how windy it
is.

Updated 29/01: The low carbon share graph was
updated.