According to new statistics published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), coal accounted for just 0.6% of electricity production during the second quarter of 2019, the lowest level since the Industrial Revolution.

Coal production plummeted to 0.5 million tonnes between April and June 2019 – 25% lower than the second quarter of 2018, as a result of mine closures and the falling demand for coal power generation.

Britain has gone more than 3,000 hours without using coal at all this year, almost five times more than the whole of 2017.

The share of renewable energy has risen to 35.5% of the UK’s total power production – an increase of 32% during the same period last year. Over the course of a year, green energy production was up by 9.9% from 24.6TWh to 27.1TWh.

The statistics come after the UK’s offshore wind industry broke price records for electricity production in the government’s latest Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction.

Energy and Clean Growth Minister, Kwasi Kwarteng said:

“The UK is a world leader in renewables and these figures are another step in the right direction on our path towards reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

 

With more offshore wind projects on the way at record low prices, we are set to benefit from even more clean energy in the years to come.”