ADVERTISEMENT

In the U.K., the latest Electrical Insights Report, produced by researchers at Imperial College London in collaboration with Drax, shows biomass generation hit a new high of 4.4 TWh during the first quarter of this year. According to the report, this means the U.K. biomass energy fleet ran at 95 percent capacity over the three-month period, higher than any other technology has achieved during the past ten years. Overall, the report shows biomass accounted for 5.4 percent of Great Britain’s electricity supply mix during the first quarter, with biomass capacity at 2.2 GW.

The report also indicates hydropower, wind and solar set records during the quarter. Hydropower reached 1.6 TWh, 4 percent higher than its previous best set in 2014, wind generated 11.3 TWh, up more than 10 percent compared to the previous quarterly record set in 2015, while solar reached a new peak output level at the end of March, with 7.67 GW.

According to the report, coal output fell 30 percent when compared to the first quarter of 2016 due to high wind output and the mild winter. As a result, carbon emissions were 10 percent lower when compared to the first quarter of last year.

A full copy of the report can be downloaded from the Drax website.