UK energy consumption shows no dip

The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change’s digest of energy statistics published recently reveals little progress on curbing energy consumption or increasing renewables.

According to the Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2011 (or DUKES as it is known), although UK energy production fell by 5.3% in 2010, primary consumption rose by 3.2%. However, adjusting for the particularly cold winter puts consumption on an even keel, just 0.4% down on 2009. Consequently, the UK continues to be a net importer of energy, with a dependency level of 28%.

Last year also saw a large increase in imports of liquefied natural gas, up to a third of total gas imports. Gas now accounts for 47% of electricity supplied in the UK, while coal makes up 28% and nuclear power 16%. Coal consumption also rose by 5.2%, driven mainly by a 4.4% increase in consumption by major power producers.

Renewables, meanwhile, make up a mere 6.8% of total UK electricity generation up just 0.1% on 2009 despite a 42% increase in offshore wind capacity, a 16% increase in onshore wind capacity and a 9% increase in biomass and waste-to-energy.

As measured by the EU Renewables Directive, renewables account for just 3.3% of energy consumption, up 0.3% on 2009 and still well off the target for the UK of 15% by 2020.

Meanwhile, the UK Government appears to be taking a cautious approach to shale gas. Although the practice of hydraulic fracturing or fracking used to extract shale gas has been widely criticised by environmentalists in the US and led to a moratorium in France, the climate change committee had said that the chances of aquifer contamination in the UK were small. But the government has downplayed the shale prospects. Government indicated it did notbelieve that security of supply considerations will be the main driver of policy in relation to the exploitation of shale gas in the UK.