Energy Trends: UK renewables

UK renewable electricity capacity and generation (PDF) ​ An overview of the trends identified for the previous quarter in the UK’s renewables sector, focusing on:​ * renewables electricity generation * renewable electricity capacity * renewable electricity load factors * feed-in tariffs capacity * liquid biofuels consumption We publish this document on the last Thursday of each calendar quarter (March, June, September and December). ### Quarterly data​: ET 6.1, ET 6.2 These tables focus on renewable electricity capacity and generation, and liquid biofuels consumption.​ We publish these quarterly tables on the last Thursday of each calendar quarter (March, June, September and December). The data is a quarter in arrears. ### Monthly data​: ROCs ​This data relates to certificates and generation associated with the renewables obligation scheme. We publish this monthly table on the second Thursday of each month. ### Earlier data​ Previous editions of Energy Trends are available on the [Energy Trends](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/energy-trends) collection page. You can request previous editions of the tables by using the email below in Contact us. ### Contact us​ If you have questions about these statistics, please email: renewablesstatistics@energysecurity.gov.uk --- Statistical Release 18 December 2025 Energy Trends UK, July to September 2025 About this release Information on energy production, trade, and consumption in the UK for total energy and by specific fuels. In this release Total energy Solid fuels and derived gases Oil and oil products Gas Electricity Renewables Data tables and special articles 2 4 6 9 11 13 16 Technical information 17 Glossary 18 Related publications 20 Further information 21 Data tables Additional data are available online as part of the Energy Trends series: Total energy Coal and derived gases Oil and oil products Gas Electricity Renewables This publication is based on a snapshot of survey data from energy suppliers. New data are incorporated in line with the revisions policy. Percentage change from Quarter 3 2024, primary energy basis (Mtoe basis) Production Imports Exports Demand Total energy -2.5% -3.3% -2.2% -3.8% Coal -0.8% -32% -48% -46% Primary oil +2.7% -2.3% -0.5% -2.6% Petroleum products -2.0% -0.8% -5.9% -3.7% Gas -1.2% -10% +0.7% -1.7% Electricity -11% +6.8% +27% -11% Total UK energy production in the third quarter of 2025 was at a record low, down 2 per cent on the third quarter last year, driven in the main by a drop in nuclear output due to maintenance outages and refuelling. Total energy production is 28 per cent below the pre-pandemic level recorded in the third quarter of 2019, mainly as a result of continued falls in oil and gas output from the UK’s Continental Shelf. Renewable electricity generation grew 7 per cent on the same period last year, following strong output from wind and solar. As a share of total generation, renewable electricity generation increased to 54.7 per cent, 3.6 percentage points up on the same period last year and just shy of the record share seen in the second quarter of this year. The fall in nuclear output offset the increase in renewables and resulted in the low carbon share of generation dropping 1.4 percentage points to 67.2 per cent. Fossil fuel electricity generation (almost exclusively gas) increased 7 per cent and reached a share of 29.5 per cent. Final energy consumption by households and transport was broadly stable on the same period last year. Transport demand was down 2 per cent on the third quarter of 2024 with falls in road and aviation fuels. Household demand was static, once adjustments have been made for the warmer weather experienced this year. Energy demand from industrial users dropped to a new record low, despite manufacturing output remaining above pre-pandemic levels. Improvements in energy efficiency and a move away from traditional manufacturing have impacted the long-term trends in industrial consumption. Fossil fuel dependency increased to 72.6 per cent from 72.1 per cent following increased gas demand for electricity generation. Net import dependency decreased from 42.4 per cent to 42.0 per cent, with relatively little difference in trade patterns compared to the third quarter of 2024. 1 Section 1: UK total energy Kevin Harris 0747 135 8194 energy.stats@energysecurity.gov.uk Key headlines In the third quarter of 2025 total production was 21.2 million tonnes of oil equivalent, 2.5 per cent lower compared to the third quarter of 2024 and at the lowest quarterly total this century. Oil and gas production rose marginally on last year, but both remain significantly below pre-pandemic levels. Low carbon output fell by 8.4 per cent as a result of record low nuclear output due to refuelling and continued outages. Total primary energy consumption for energy uses fell by 3.6 per cent, with record low quarterly demand from nuclear generators the main driver for the fall in consumption. When adjusted to take account of weather differences, primary energy consumption fell by 3.4 per cent on the same period last year. Total final energy consumption (excluding non-energy use) was 2.6 per cent lower compared to the third quarter of 2024. Domestic consumption fell by 4.6 per cent with July and August 2025 notably warmer than a year earlier, whilst services consumption rose by 0.3 per cent. Despite manufacturing output remaining above pre-pandemic levels, industrial consumption fell by 5.4 per cent to the lowest quarterly total this century. Transport consumption fell by 1.9 per cent with petrol, jet and diesel all falling on the same period last year. On a seasonally and temperature adjusted basis, final energy consumption fell by 1.4 per cent, with rises in domestic and services but falls in industry and transport consumption. In the third quarter of 2025 dependency on fossil fuels was 72.6 per cent, up 0.5 percentage points on the same quarter of 2024. The low carbon share was 23.6 per cent in the third quarter of 2025, down 0.7 percentage points on the same quarter of 2024, due to the fall in nuclear output. Chart 1.1 UK production (Energy Trends Tables 1.1 & 1.3) In the third quarter of 2025 total production was 21.2 million tonnes of oil equivalent, 2.5 per cent lower than in the third quarter of 2024 and at a record low level. Oil production rose by 2.6 per cent but output is still 43 per cent lower compared to pre-pandemic levels, whilst gas production fell by 1.4 per cent and is 23 per cent lower than pre-pandemic levels. Nuclear production fell by 28 per cent to a record low quarterly level due to refuelling on top of continued outages. Wind, solar and hydro output rose by 10 per cent due to more favourable weather conditions for solar and increased capacity for both wind and solar. 2 Chart 1.2 Total inland consumption (primary fuel input basis) (Energy Trends Table 1.2) In the third quarter of 2025 total inland consumption over the last year (including not only fuel used by consumers, but for electricity generation and other transformation) was 160.5 million tonnes of oil equivalent, 3.4 per cent lower than in the third quarter of 2024. (Chart 1.2 is on a seasonally adjusted and annualised rate that removes the impact of temperature on demand.) Chart 1.3 Final energy consumption by user (Energy Trends Table 1.3) In the third quarter of 2025 total final energy consumption (excluding non-energy use) was 2.6 per cent lower than in the third quarter of 2024. Average temperatures were 1.0 degrees Celsius higher than the same period a year earlier, resulting in domestic consumption falling by 4.6 per cent whilst consumption by other final users rose by 0.3 per cent. Industrial consumption dropped to a new record low, despite manufacturing output remaining above pre-pandemic levels. Improvements in energy efficiency and a move away from traditional manufacturing have impacted the long-term trends in industrial consumption. Transport consumption decreased by 1.9 per cent on the same period last year, with small falls in petrol, diesel and jet fuels. 3 Section 2: Coal and derived gases Chris Michaels 0774 159 8039 coalstatistics@energysecurity.gov.uk Key headlines In the third quarter of 2025, UK coal demand fell to a record low of 215 thousand tonnes, 46 per cent lower than in Quarter 3 2024. There was no coal-fired power station generation and there was no coke oven gas production as the remaining coke ovens in the UK have now closed. Overall coal production fell to 30 thousand tonnes, down 0.8 per cent on the third quarter of 2024. This (Chart 2.3) was all deep-mined coal as the last large surface mine Ffos-Y-Fran closed at the end of November 2023. Coal production in the UK is now a small component of the UK’s total energy production. Coal imports fell to 422 thousand tonnes during the quarter, 34 per cent down on the same period last year. South Africa was the largest supplier of coal into the UK at 35 per cent of total imports. This was followed by the European Union (27 per cent) and the USA (21 per cent). (Chart 2.3) Chart 2.1 Coal Consumption (Energy Trends Table 2.1) Electricity generators Generators trend (average 4 quarters ending) Collieries, coke ovens and other conversion industries Final consumers s e n n o t n o i l l i M 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 2022 2023 2024 2025 There was no coal-fired generation from power stations in the third quarter of 2025. The last coal-fired power plant - Ratcliffe-on-Soar - closed on 30 September 2024. Coal use has been phased out as electricity generation now favours gas, nuclear and renewables. Domestic coal production has fallen steadily because of coal mine closures and reduced demand. In Q3 2025, UK coal production fell to 30 thousand tonnes, down 0.8 per cent compared to Q3 2024. However, total production was only 1.8 per cent of the value in Quarter 4 2015 when some large deep mines were still in operation. The last large surface mine Ffos-y-Fran closed at the end of November 2023. There is currently no surface mining in the UK. 4 Chart 2.2 Coal Supply (Energy Trends Table 2.1) s e n n o t n o i l l i M 2.0 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 Imports Surface mining Deep mined Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 2022 2023 2024 2025 In Quarter 3 2025, coal imports fell to 422 thousand tonnes, 34 per cent down on the same period last year. However, volumes are low due by historical standards due to low demand for coal (import peaked at 13.4 million tonnes in second quarter of 2013). Coal imports in Quarter 3 2025 comprised 291 thousand tonnes of steam coal (69 per cent of imports), 61 thousand tonnes of coking coal (14 per cent of imports) and 70 thousand tonnes of anthracite (17 per cent of imports). The largest provider of coal to the UK during Quarter 3 was South Africa (35 per cent). This was followed by the European Union (27 per cent) and the USA (21 per cent). The UK banned Russian coal imports in August 2022. This reflects a decreasing reliance on Russian energy in line with that seen for both oil and gas. Chart 2.3 Coal Imports (Energy Trends Table 2.4) Q3 2024 Q3 2025 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 Thousand tonnes EU Colombia South Africa USA Venezuela 5 Section 3: Oil and oil products Alasdair Campbell 0751 116 4502 oil.statistics@energysecurity.gov.uk Anwar Annut 0300 068 5060 Key headlines In Quarter 3 2025 indigenous production of primary oils rose by 2.5 per cent compared to the same period last year, when there was a programme of maintenance that reduced production. In the longer-term, there is a downward trend in production. The UK was a net importer of all oils by 9.2 million tonnes, stable on last year (up just 0.6 per cent). Production of petroleum products was down 1.9 per cent in Quarter 3 2025 compared to the same period the previous year, with demand down by 3.6 per cent. The only demand sector that saw an increase was domestic, where the demand pattern appeared to follow lower prices for heating oil, rather than the temperatures observed in the quarter. Transport demand saw a 2.5 per cent decrease with falls in petrol, diesel and jet fuel. Chart 3.1 Production and trade of crude oil and NGLs (Energy Trends Table 3.1) Despite the long-term downward trend in production from the North Sea basin, indigenous production of primary oils in Quarter 3 2025 was up by 2.5 per cent compared to the same period in the previous year. However, since a recent peak in 2019, indigenous production has been falling by an average of 8.0 per cent each quarter on the previous year. Imports of primary oils dropped by 2.2 per cent in Q3 2025 compared to the previous year while exports of primary oils were stable. The UK continued to be a net importer of primary oils and in Q3 2025 net imports at 5.1 million tonnes were down 4.3 per cent on the same period in 2024. Refinery demand was broadly level compared to the previous year (down just 0.6 per cent). 6 Chart 3.2 Production and trade of petroleum products (Energy Trends Table 3.2) Production of petroleum products in Quarter 3 2025 was down 1.9 per cent compared to the same quarter in 2024. Most fuels saw decreases in production, aside from petrol and diesel. The fall in production is small despite two refineries closing in the UK this year – Grangemouth was transitioned to an import terminal in Quarter 2 and Lindsey closed in Quarter 3 – because there was maintenance during this period in 2024. Demand was down by 3.6 per cent. Imports were stable while exports were 6.1 per cent down, but the UK remained a net importer of petroleum products by 4.0 million tonnes, an increase of 7.6 per cent on last year. The top three single origin sources of product imports to the UK in Quarter 3 2025 were the Netherlands, the United States, and Kuwait. Together, these three countries accounted for more than 40 per cent of the UK’s product imports. One quarter of imported jet fuel originated from Kuwait, meeting just over a fifth of jet demand. See Energy Trends Table 3.14 for imports by origin. Chart 3.3 Demand sectors (Energy Trends Table 3.4) 7 Demand for petroleum products decreased by 1.9 per cent in Quarter 3 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Transport demand decreased by 2.5 per cent, driven by decreases in deliveries of the three major fuels: 1.4 per cent for petrol, 2.5 per cent for diesel, and 3.3 per cent for jet fuel. This deviates from the year-on-year trend of recovery in the transport sector since the pandemic, especially with regards to jet fuel. Jet fuel typically shows seasonal demand fluctuations (highs in summer) but has been increasing annually since the pandemic when demand more than halved between 2019 and 2020 - and decreased to less than 1.5 million tonnes during Quarter 3 2021. At 3.3 million tonnes in Quarter 3 this year jet demand has more than doubled but has nonetheless fallen by 3.3 per cent compared to last year. Chart 3.4 Demand for transport fuels (Energy Trends Table 3.4) Final consumption of petroleum products was down by 3.4 per cent on Quarter 3 2024, with the only notable increase in the domestic sector, up 2.6 per cent on the same period last year. Burning oil, or kerosene, is used for heating some homes that are off the gas-grid, and demand often follows temperatures. However, since the price spike following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, customers have appeared to show more regard to price fluctuations. Although the UK had slightly higher temperatures in Quarter 3 compared to last year, prices continued to decrease, and demand was up as customers responded to these lower prices. 8 Section 4: Gas Katherine Lennon 07745 107 524 gas.stats@energysecurity.gov.uk Key headlines Demand for natural gas hit a record low in Quarter 3 2025, dropping to 102 TWh. This was a 1.7 per cent decrease compared to the same period in 2024, largely due to reduced demand for gas used for domestic (household) supply following warm temperatures this year. Conversely gas used for electricity generation increased by 9.5 per cent, as electricity imports decreased. . . Imports decreased and exports remained stable in Quarter 3 2025. Imports decreased by 10 per cent, impacted by Norwegian outages and a reduction in imports of liquified natural gas (LNG). Indigenous production was relatively stable, down 1.2 per cent on the same period last year. Chart 4.1 UK demand for natural gas (Energy Trends Table 4.1) Demand for natural gas reached a record low of 102 TWh in Quarter 3 2025, down from 104 TWh in Quarter 3 2024. This was driven by reduced demand by final consumers which fell 7.7 per cent in the same period. Domestic (household) consumption saw the biggest decrease, falling by 10 per cent due to warm temperatures. Industrial demand also decreased by 8.5 per cent whilst demand by other final users (including commercial and public administration) was stable. Gas demand for electricity generation increased by 9.5 per cent in Quarter 3 2025 as gas helped make good a shortfall caused by outages and refuelling in the UK’s nuclear fleet (see Table 5.3 for more information). 9 Chart 4.2 Production and trade of natural gas (Energy Trends Table 4.2) In Quarter 3 2025, imports decreased and exports remained stable compared to Quarter 3 2024. So far this year trade has generally returned to the levels observed before the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Gas production was relatively stable in Quarter 3 2025, down by 1.2 per cent compared to the same quarter in 2024. Chart 4.3 Imports by origin (Energy Trends Table 4.3) Imports fell by 10 per cent in Quarter 3 2025, compared to the same period in the previous year, driven by a fall in pipeline imports which decreased by 8.3 per cent as imports from Norway were affected by Norwegian outages. Norway remained the largest import source accounting for 90 per cent of total imports in Quarter 3 2025. Imports of liquified natural gas (LNG) also decreased, down by 27 per cent compared to the same period last year, with US imports decreasing by 47 per cent, and imports from Peru dropping to zero. 10 Section 5: Electricity Vanessa Martin 0776 757 3907 electricitystatistics@energysecurity.gov.uk Key headlines Quarter 3 of 2025 saw total UK electricity demand remain stable compared to the same period in 2024, at 73.0 TWh. Total electricity generation rose slightly by 0.4 per cent to 64.9 TWh, while net imports fell by 0.5 per cent to 8.1 TWh. Despite this, electricity generation remained relatively low and net imports remained relatively high for this time of the year. The share of renewable electricity generation reached 54.7 per cent, up 3.6 percentage points from Quarter 3 2024, and just below the record quarterly share recorded in Quarter 2 2025. Electricity generated from renewables rose by 7.4 per cent to reach 35.5 TWh. This was driven by increases in both solar and wind generation. Solar generation rose by 26 per cent to 6.6 TWh, while total wind generation rose by 7.3 per cent to 17.9 TWh. The share of generation from low carbon sources fell by 1.4 percentage points to 67.2 per cent. This came as nuclear generation fell 28 per cent to a record quarterly low of 8.2 TWh, more than offsetting the increased generation from renewables. Fossil fuel generation rose by 7.2 per cent to 19.1 TWh, accounting for 29.5 per cent of total generation, despite coal generation coming to a complete end. This came as generation by gas rose by 9.6 per cent to 18.8 TWh, compensating for the quarter’s record low nuclear generation. Final consumption rose by 1.0 per cent from Quarter 3 of 2024 to 63.4 TWh, despite warmer weather compared to the same period a year ago. Domestic (household) consumption rose by 1.0 per cent to 20.3 TWh, while consumption by other final users, including commercial use and transport, rose by 2.2 per cent to 23.2 TWh. Chart 5.1 Electricity generated, by fuel type (Energy Trends Table 5.1) 11 Quarter 3 of 2025 saw total UK electricity demand remain stable compared to the same period in 2024, at 73.0 TWh. Total electricity generation rose by 0.4 per cent to 64.9 TWh, and net imports fell by 0.5 per cent to 8.1 TWh. Despite this, electricity generation remained relatively low, while net imports remained relatively high for this time of the year, accounting for 11.1 per cent of the UK’s total electricity demand. Net imports fell as the 27 per cent increase in total exports to 3.7 TWh outweighed the 6.8 per cent increase in total imports to 11.8 TWh. The share of renewable electricity generation reached 54.7 per cent, up 3.6 percentage points from Quarter 3 2024, and just below the record quarterly share in Quarter 2 2025. This was driven by increases in both solar and wind generation. Solar generation rose by 26 per cent to 6.6 TWh, reaching a share of 10.2 per cent of total generation. This occurred as average daily sun hours for the quarter were higher than the long-term average, alongside a substantial increase in solar capacity. Similarly, total wind generation rose by 7.3 per cent to 17.9 TWh. This came as offshore wind generation rose by 11 per cent to reach 10.9 TWh, and onshore wind generation rose by 2.3 per cent to 7.0 TWh. Average wind speeds were similar for both quarters, suggesting that the increase was supported by higher capacity. Finally, generation from bioenergy rose by 1.0 per cent to 10.1 TWh. Despite higher renewable generation, the share of generation from low carbon sources fell by 1.4 percentage points to 67.2 per cent. This came as nuclear generation fell 28 per cent to a record quarterly low of 8.2 TWh, more than offsetting the increased generation from renewables. Fossil fuel generation rose by 7.2 per cent to 19.1 TWh, accounting for 29.5 per cent of total generation, despite coal generation coming to a complete end. This came as generation by gas rose by 9.6 per cent to 18.8 TWh, compensating for the quarter’s record low nuclear generation. Quarter 3 of 2025 marked a whole year without coal-fired power stations, following the closure of the last major coal plant in September 2024. Since then, coal generation had continued in a small number of industrial plants, but these were phased out during 2025, marking an end to coal generation in the UK. Chart 5.2 Electricity consumption by sector (Energy Trends Table 5.2) Final consumption rose by 1.0 per cent from Quarter 3 of 2024 to 63.4 TWh, despite warmer weather compared to the same period a year ago. This came as both domestic consumption and consumption by other final users, including commercial use, rose. Domestic consumption rose by 1.0 per cent to 20.3 TWh, while consumption by other final users, including commercial use and transport, rose by 2.2 per cent to 23.2 TWh. Meanwhile, industrial consumption fell by 0.3 per cent to 19.9 TWh. 12 Section 6: Renewables Will Spry 0782 519 4608 renewablesstatistics@energysecurity.gov.uk Key headlines Renewable electricity generation was 35.5 TWh in Quarter 3 2025, 7.4 per cent higher than 2024 and a third quarter record. Over half of the increase was in solar PV, driven by a 14 per cent increase in capacity combined with higher sun hours. The remaining increase was largely in offshore wind which also saw new capacity added. Over the last year, 4.1 GW of new renewable capacity has been added an increase of 6.8 per cent. 70 per cent of this was solar PV (2.9 GW) with offshore wind accounting for 1.0 GW. Renewables’ share of electricity generation was 54.7 per cent in Quarter 3 2025, up 3.6 percentage points on last year and just 0.3 percentage point lower than the record set in the previous quarter. This is the second highest percentage share on record. The increase on last year is largely due to new capacity. Chart 6.1 Growth in renewable generation and capacity between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025 (Energy Trends Table 6.1) Chart 6.1 shows the growth in capacity over the last 12 months compared to the growth in generation between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025. Solar PV showed the largest increase in both capacity and generation (16 per cent and 26 percent respectively), with generation being further boosted by higher average sun hours (15 per cent up on last year). Offshore wind saw a 6.1 per cent increase in capacity contributing to an 11 per cent increase in generation, though this growth is partly due to a subsea cable failure in 2024 supressing generation. Onshore wind saw smaller increases for both capacity and generation (up 2.3 per cent). Hydro generation was down on last year by 20 per cent due to low reservoir levels, the cumulative effect of consecutive quarters with lower rainfall compared to last year. Bioenergy and waste has seen little new capacity over the last 12 months and a modest increase in generation. 13 Chart 6.2 Added capacity during the year for the leading technologies (Energy Trends Table 6.1) Chart 6.2 displays quarterly capacity added for the leading technologies. More than two thirds of new capacity so far in 2025 was solar PV, with the remainder in offshore wind during the first two quarters. Solar PV capacity has increased by 2.9 GW over the last four quarters. This includes Cleve Hill installed in the latest quarter which, at 373 MW, is now the largest solar PV site in the UK. Methodology Update We are currently reviewing solar capacity and have been working with external partners to identify operational sites that have not been notified to us. As a result, we have identified an additional 1.5 GW of capacity from the total published in September. The capacity figures published in Table 6.1 and this chapter have been revised back to 2020 Q3 as a result of this review. Generation for Quarter 1 and 2 of 2025 have also been revised. However, generation for 2024 and previous years have not yet been revised due to consistency implications with the wider energy balance. It is anticipated that solar PV generation for 2024 will be revised up by around 1 per cent when we publish annual statistics in June 2026. The impact on previous years will be smaller. 14 Chart 6.3 Renewables’ share of electricity generation Q4 2024 and 2025 (Energy Trends Table 6.1) Chart 6.3 shows that, since Quarter 3 2024, solar PV’s share of electricity generation has increased from 8 per cent to 10 per cent reflecting the increase in generation due to new capacity and higher average sun hours. Offshore wind’s share has increased from 15 per cent to 17 per cent. Onshore wind and bioenergy remain unchanged with a dip for hydro. 15 Data tables and special articles Data in this release Data are collected by DESNZ through surveys of energy suppliers. This publication highlights key stories in energy in the UK for the specified period. Additional data are available in the quarterly and monthly statistical tables for each fuel and total energy. The tables are generally in commodity balance format, showing the flow from the sources of supply through to final use. Special articles Special articles that explore current topics of interest are available alongside this summary report. Included in this publication are: Diversity of supply of natural gas in Europe, 2024 Electricity generation and supply in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, 2020 to 2024 Feed-in Tariff load factor analysis: 2024/25 Statistical tables* Data tables available as part of the Energy Trends series: Total energy Solid fuels and derived gases Oil and oil products Gas Electricity Renewables The full range of special articles is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/co llections/energy-trends-articles Additional sources of information Index of Production, published by the Office for National Statistics: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/economicoutputandproductivity/output/bulletins/indexofproduction/previousReleases Index of Services, published by the Office for National Statistics: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/economicoutputandproductivity/output/bulletins/indexofservices/previousReleases Detailed annual Digest of UK Energy Statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/digest-of-uk-energy-statistics-dukes Tables showing foreign trade flows of energy: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dukes-foreign-trade-statistics Weather tables produced by DESNZ using Met Office data: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/weather-statistics Information on Energy Prices: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/quarterly-energy-prices *Hyperlinks will open the most recently published table. If you require a previously published version of a table, please contact DESNZ at: energy.stats@energysecurity.gov.uk 16 Technical information Methodology and revisions More detailed notes on the methodology used to compile the figures and data sources are available on the collection pages for each fuel. The figures have not been adjusted for temperature or seasonal factors except where noted. Percentage changes relate to the corresponding period a year ago. They are calculated from unrounded figures. They are shown as (+) or (-) when the percentage change is very large. Quarterly figures relate to calendar quarters. All figures relate to the United Kingdom unless otherwise indicated. Further information on Oil and Gas is available from the North Sea Transition Authority at https://www.nstauthority.co.uk/ Table of conversion factors To ktoe TJ GWh million therms From Multiply by ktoe 1 41.868 11.63 0.39683 To toe GJ kWh therms From Multiply by 1 toe 41.868 11,630 396.83 TJ 0.023885 1 0.27778 0.0094778 GJ GWh 0.085985 3.6 1 0.034121 kWh million therms 2.52 105.51 29.307 1 therms 0.023885 1 277.78 9.4778 0.000085985 0.0036 1 0.034121 0.00252 0.105510 29.307 1 ktoe = thousand tonne of oil equivalent toe = tonne of oil equivalent Sector breakdowns Categories for final users are defined by Standard Industrial Classification 2007: Fuel producers Final consumers Iron and steel 05-07, 09, 19, 24.46, 35 24 (excluding 24.4, 24.53 and 24.54) Other industry 08, 10-18, 20-23, 24.4 (excluding 24.46), 24.53, 24.54, 25-33, 36-39, Transport Other final users Agriculture Commercial Public administration Other services 41-43 49-51 (part*) 01-03 45-47, 49-51 (part*), 52-53, 55-56, 58-66, 68-75, 77-82 84-88 90-99 Domestic * Note – transport sector includes only energy used for motion/traction purposes. Other energy used by transport companies is classified to the commercial sector. Not covered Revisions policy Figures for the latest periods are provisional and are liable to subsequent revision. The DESNZ statistical revisions policy sets out the revisions policy for these statistics, which has been developed in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority Code of Practice for Statistics. 17 Glossary Tonne of Oil Equivalent A common unit of measurement which enables different fuels to be compared and aggregated, and equal to 41.868 gigajoules. Usually expressed in Trends as ktoe (Thousand tonnes of oil equivalent) or Mtoe (Million tonnes of oil equivalent). Indigenous production The extraction or capture of primary fuels: for oil this includes production from the UK Continental Shelf, both onshore and offshore. Production by fuel is shown in Table 1.1. As with all data in Tables 1.1 to 1.3, these data are presented in either Million tonnes of oil equivalent or Thousand tonnes of oil equivalent. Various conventions are involved in the presentation of these data (e.g. for nuclear production the energy input is the heat content of the steam leaving the reactor) and these conventions are detailed in the Table notes and methodology documents (see link at end of glossary). Primary supply Primary supply is the sum of production, other sources, imports (+), exports (-), stock change, marine bunkers and transfers. A breakdown of supply by fuel is shown in Table 1.3. Primary demand Primary demand is the sum of the transformation, energy industry use, losses and final energy consumption by the industry sectors including non-energy use. A breakdown of demand by fuel is shown in Table 1.3. Primary inland energy consumption The sum of primary supply less non-energy use (Table 1.2). Final energy consumption Energy consumption by final user, i.e., which is not being used for transformation into other forms of energy. Final energy consumption is shown by sector and for individual fuels in Table 1.3. Non-energy use Includes fuel used for chemical feedstock, solvents, lubricants, and road making material, see Table 3.2. Imports Goods entering the UK, e.g. via pipeline from Norway or LNG cargoes from Qatar and the US for gas (Table 4.3) and interconnectors for electricity from The Netherlands (Table 5.6). Exports Goods leaving the UK, e.g. via LNG regassification cargoes to Europe for gas (Table 4.4) and interconnectors for electricity to France (Table 5.6). Transformation Transformation covers those activities that transform fuels into a form which is better suited for specific uses. Most of the transformation activities correspond to particular energy industries whose main business is to manufacture the product associated with them. Certain activities involve transformation to make products that are only partly used for energy needs (e.g. coke and oven coke) or are by-products of other manufacturing processes (e.g. coke oven and blast furnace gases). A breakdown of transformation by fuel is shown in Table 1.3. 18 Seasonally and temperature adjustment The temperature corrected series of total inland fuel consumption, Table 1.2 indicates what annual consumption might have been if the average temperature during the year had been the same as the average for the years 1991 to 2020. Table 1.3 shows seasonal and temperature adjusted final consumption. Primary oil Crude oil, natural gas liquids and feedstocks. (Table 3.1) Petroleum products Motor spirit, diesel, gas oil, aviation turbine fuel, fuel oils, petroleum gases, burning oil and other products. (Table 3.4) Transport fuels Motor spirit and diesel for road and aviation turbine fuel for aviation. (Table 3.4) Electricity generation Electricity generation represents the quantities of fuels burned for the generation of electricity. The activity is divided into two parts, covering the Major Power Producers such as those generating electricity for sale, as their main business activity, and autogenerators such as those generating electricity for their own needs but who may also sell surplus quantities (Table 5.1). Fossil fuels Coal, oil and natural gas. The percentage share of electricity generation by fossil fuels is shown in Table 5.1. Renewables Renewable energy includes solar power, wind, wave, tidal, hydroelectricity, and bioenergy. Solid biomass includes wood and wood pellets, straw, short rotation coppice, and the biodegradable component of wastes (the non-biodegradable component is shown as a memo item in Table 6.1). Liquid biofuels include bio diesel and bioethanol, along with new and emerging fuels such as bio LPG (liquified petroleum gas). Biogases include landfill gas, sewage gas, and anaerobic digestion. The percentage share of electricity generation by renewables is shown in Table 5.1. Low carbon Nuclear and renewables. The percentage share of electricity generation by low carbon sources is shown in Table 5.1. Additional information A more detailed glossary is available in The Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES), Annex B, whilst the energy balance methodology note provides background detail on the compilation of an energy balance, as well as an explanation of each of the key energy balance flows. Notes in individual Energy Trends tables and individual fuel methodology notes (see links below) provide further detail. Coal methodology note Oil methodology note Gas methodology note Electricity methodology note Renewables methodology note 19 Related publications Recent publications of interest Energy Consumption in the United Kingdom (ECUK) Detailed data on end use estimates of energy in the UK: www.gov.uk/government/collections/energy- consumption-in-the-uk Sub-national total final energy consumption Findings of the sub–national energy consumption analysis in the UK for all fuels, for the period covering 1 January to 31 December, with gas consumption covering the annual period from mid-May: www.gov.uk/government/collections/total-final-energy-consumption-at-sub-national-level Sub-national electricity consumption Electricity consumption by consuming sector for Great Britain and devolved administration areas. Data are based on the aggregation of Meter Point Administration Number readings as part of DESNZ’s annual meter point electricity data exercise: www.gov.uk/government/collections/sub-national-electricity-consumption-data. Sub-national gas consumption Gas consumption by consuming sector for Great Britain, and devolved administration areas. Data are based on the aggregation of Meter Point Reference Number readings throughout Great Britain as part of DESNZ’s annual meter point gas data exercise. Data are subject to a weather correction factor to enable comparison of gas use over time: www.gov.uk/government/collections/sub-national-gas-consumption-data. Sub-national road transport consumption Road transport fuels consumption in the UK at regional and local authority level. Data is modelled and provided to DESNZ by Ricardo Energy & Environment, with estimates based on where the fuel is consumed, rather than where it is purchased. www.gov.uk/government/collections/road-transport-consumption-at-regional-and-local-level Sub-national consumption of residual fuels Non-gas, non-electricity and non-road transport fuels consumption in the UK. Includes coal, petroleum, solid fuels, and bioenergy not for generation or road use: www.gov.uk/government/collections/sub-national- consumption-of-other-fuels 20 Further information Accredited official statistics These statistics are accredited official statistics. Accredited official statistics are called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. These accredited official statistics were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) in June 2014. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics. Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation. OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. You are welcome to contact us by emailing energy.stats@energysecurity.gov.uk with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website. Pre-release Some ministers and officials receive access to these statistics up to 24 hours before release. Details of the arrangements for doing this and a list of the ministers and officials that receive pre-release access to these statistics can be found in the DESNZ statement of compliance with the Pre-Release Access to Official Statistics Order 2008. User engagement Users are encouraged to provide comments and feedback on how these statistics are used and how well they meet user needs. Comments on any issues relating to this statistical release are welcomed. © Crown copyright 2025 This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. Where we have identified any third-party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. This publication is available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/energy-trends If you need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email energy.stats@energysecurity.gov.uk Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use. 21 Special article – Energy Trends collection 18 December 2025 Diversity of supply of natural gas in Europe, 2024 Shareen Mahmood 0770 843 5119 gas.stats@energysecurity.gov.uk Key headlines European gas demand stabilised following successive declines, with overall European natural gas demand remaining flat in 2024 compared to 2023. Demand in the UK dropped 2.3 per cent, mainly due to reduced use in electricity generation. Norway accounted for 59 per cent of total European natural gas production and remains Europe, and the UKs, principal source of imports. Liquified natural gas (LNG) imports to Europe decreased by 17 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023, and the US remained the largest LNG supplier to both Europe and the UK. European pipeline imports from Russia increased by 6.7 per cent in 2024 but remained well below pre-conflict levels, accounting for 8.7 per cent of gross supply. The UK last imported Russia gas in March 2022. UK trading patterns in 2024 returned to levels seen before the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with UK exports of natural gas to Europe down by 23 per cent in 2024 on 2023. UK production fell by 10 per cent to its lowest level since 1973, continuing a long-term decline in the mature North Sea basin. Background Europe, including the UK, use natural gas for electricity generation, domestic (household) heating and cooking, and other purposes such as industrial processes. This article sets out how countries in Europe meet their natural gas demand via production and imports. This article uses Energy Trends and International Energy Agency (IEA) data. European IEA member states reflect the majority of Europe but excludes Andorra, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City which are not included in the article. Cyprus, Iceland, and Montenegro did not produce or consume natural gas so are also not included in the article. Methods Three indicators have been used to undertake this analysis. Self-sufficiency Production is the process of extracting natural gas from the earth. Self-sufficiency is a measure of a country’s ability to meet its demand through production. This is calculated as production divided by demand where: • Self-sufficiency equals 0, there was no natural gas production • Self-sufficiency is between 0 and 1, production met some demand • Self-sufficiency equals 1, production equalled demand • Self-sufficiency greater than 1, production exceeded demand Generally higher self-sufficiency means more secure natural gas supply. 1 Diversity index The diversity index is a measure of the number of import sources, weighted by the country of origin’s political stability1. This means that a country with many import sources of high political stability will have a high diversity index. Conversely, a country with few import sources of low political stability will have a low diversity index. In general, a diverse source of imports means gas supply is more secure. This is further improved if the source countries are politically stable. Supply index The supply index is the sum of self-sufficiency and diversity index. A higher supply index can be indicative of higher security in terms of a country’s sources of gas. A supply index of 0 indicates that a country has no production and only one import source. 1 Data sourced from World Bank governance indicators. See Appendix 1 for underlying data and Appendix 2 for method. 2 Chart 1: Self-sufficiency and diversity index for European countries, 2024 Norway is excluded from the graph because it’s self-sufficiency is substantially larger than other countries (27). See Appendix 1 for underlying data. Chart 1 shows the relationship between self-sufficiency and diversity index. The size of each bubble represents natural gas demand in each country. Self-sufficiency Norway is the largest producer of natural gas in Europe, and in the top 10 globally. In 2024, Norway produced more than 27 times the amount of natural gas it consumed, accounting for 59 per cent of total European natural gas production. Europe has an average self-sufficiency score of 0.84, this is driven by Norway with almost all other countries below the average (the average self-sufficiency score falls to 0.15 when Norway is excluded). Albania continued to be self-sufficient in 2024, producing the same amount of gas that it consumed. Of the European countries who use natural gas, Albania’s demand is the smallest. The UK had a self-sufficiency score of 0.49 meaning that just under half of gas demand could have been met by production in 2024.This was down from 0.54 in 2023 as production in the UK fell 10 per cent to the lowest level since 1973, continuing a long-term downward trend, in line with declining output from the North Sea basin. Of the 39 countries included in this analysis, 13 had a self-sufficiency score of 0 meaning they did not produce any gas and were reliant on imports to meet supply. 3 Diversity Most countries use imports to meet demand. In 2024, the average diversity index of European countries was 0.38. The proximity of Western European countries to the sea facilitates shipments of liquified natural gas (LNG) from a wider range of countries than would be possible with pipelines alone, which contributes to their tendency to have higher diversity indexes. In 2024, the UK’s diversity score was 0.40, down from 0.46 in 2023, whilst the UK’s number of import sources remained the same, the proportion of imports from large sources increased. Demand Germany remained the largest natural gas consumer in Europe (78 bcm), followed by the UK, Italy and Turkey; these four countries accounted for over half of total European natural gas demand in 2024. Overall European demand for natural gas was flat in 2024 compared to 2023 in contrast to the previous year’s declines. UK gas demand decreased by 2.2 per cent, due to a decline in gas demand for electricity generation. Chart 2: Supply index for European countries, 2024 Norway is excluded from the graph because it is self-sufficiency is substantially larger than other countries (27), see Appendix 1 for underlying data. Chart 2 shows the supply index for European countries in 2024. The self-sufficiency score and diversity index have been stacked, indicating the relative contribution of these components to the security of supply ranking. 4 Ukraine In 2024, Ukraine’s self-sufficiency continued to rise, reaching 0.95, due to a large increase in indigenous production compared to a moderate increase in demand. Ukraine’s diversity index decreased as imports were sourced from fewer countries. Ukraine had the third highest supply index behind Norway and the Netherlands. This analysis does not consider other factors which could be considered when evaluating supply. Supply index In 2024, Norway had the highest supply index of European countries at 27.71. The average European supply index was 1.22, bolstered by Norwegian production, and falling to 0.52 when excluding Norway, reflecting most countries’ reliance on imports to meet demand. Thirteen countries produced no natural gas, so their supply index equalled their diversity index. Of these countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Gibraltar, North Macedonia, Belarus, and Estonia had only one import source, resulting in a supply index of zero. With a supply index of 0.89, the UK had the eight highest European supply index behind Norway, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Romania, Belgium, Albania, and the Czech Republic. This was down from 1.00 in 2023. The UK is Europe’s second largest producer of natural gas; however, it is substantially smaller than Norway, producing 76 per cent less gas than Norway in 2024. Sources of European gross gas supply Most European natural gas imports arrive via pipeline for which infrastructure is well-established. In 2024, imports by pipeline made up 70 and 75 per cent of total imports to Europe and the UK respectively. Pipeline infrastructure means it is often convenient to import gas from neighbouring countries. Countries can also import natural gas as shipments of LNG which is gas that has been cooled to a liquefied state, making it easier to store and transport. It can then be regasified at import terminals, before being transferred to the pipeline system. The UK has the second largest LNG regasification infrastructure in Europe, behind Spain, with three import terminals - Dragon, the Isle of Grain, and South Hook. The top import sources for European countries have remained relatively unchanged since 2021, with 13 countries ranking within the top 15 sources each year from 2021 to 2024. Of these, Norway, Russia, Algeria, and the United States have consistently ranked within the top five sources of European imports although the proportion of European supply met by Russian gas has fallen sharply since 2021 when Russian imports comprised 24 per cent of gross supply. European pipeline imports from Russia2 fell by almost 50 per cent in 2023 compared to 2022 as many European countries moved away from Russian gas following the invasion of Ukraine. Imports from Russia increased by 7 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023 and Russia remained the second largest pipeline import source to Europe behind Norway, down from the largest in 2022, accounting for 9 per cent of gross supply. LNG imports decreased by 17 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023, imports of LNG from the US made up 9 per cent of gross supply. Imports of gas to Europe from the UK decreased by 14 per cent in 2023 compared to record highs in 2022 slightly higher than pre-conflict averages. 2 Russia acts as a transit country for gas from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, so it should be noted that the origin of this gas is not necessarily all Russian. 5 Chart 3: Sources of UK gross gas supply, 2024 Rounded data do not equal 100 per cent, Countries included in ‘Other LNG’ include Qatar, Trinidad and Tobago, Algeria, Angola, Peru, Norway, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Egypt Chart 3 shows gas supply sources for the UK in 2024. In 2024, UK trading patterns returned to close to pre- conflict levels. Norway remained the UK’s largest import source, accounting for 43 per cent of gross supply. Norway accounted for almost 100 per cent of all pipeline imports as Belgian and Dutch interconnectors were mainly used for exports. Imports of LNG from the US accounted for 68 per cent of total UK LNG imports in 2024, up from 61 per cent in 2023. The US remained the largest source of LNG to the UK, having overtaken Qatar in 2022. Qatari LNG imports accounted for 8 per cent of total LNG imports and despite being the second largest source, this was the lowest proportion seen in over a decade. In total, the UK sourced LNG from 10 different countries in 2024, stable on 2023. Following sanction announcements and industry self-sanctioning, the last cargo of Russian LNG imported to the UK was received in March 2022. 6 Map 1: Map 1 illustrates the diversity of import supply, as well as the complexities of inter-EU gas trade. 7 Appendix 1: Underlying data for charts Table 1: Underlying data for Chart 1 and Chart 2, source: IEA (http://data.iea.org/) Country Albania Austria Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Gibraltar Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Republic of Moldova Republic of North Macedonia Republic of Türkiye Romania Serbia Slovak Republic Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Ukraine United Kingdom Average Self-sufficiency 1.00 Diversity index 0.00 0.08 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.28 0.03 0.81 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.05 0.00 0.00 0.20 0.21 0.04 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.30 27.00 0.23 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.04 0.99 0.10 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.95 0.49 0.84 0.38 0.00 1.02 0.00 0.33 0.44 0.93 0.03 0.00 0.52 0.73 0.00 0.67 0.00 0.43 0.31 0.00 0.71 0.41 0.66 0.70 0.28 0.83 0.71 0.46 0.30 0.41 0.00 0.48 0.06 0.00 0.23 0.30 0.68 0.74 0.50 0.15 0.40 0.38 Supply index 1.00 0.46 0.00 1.02 0.00 0.33 0.71 0.96 0.84 0.00 0.52 0.73 0.00 0.72 0.00 0.43 0.52 0.21 0.75 0.41 0.66 0.70 0.28 1.14 27.71 0.69 0.30 0.41 0.00 0.53 1.05 0.10 0.24 0.31 0.68 0.74 0.50 1.10 0.89 1.22 Demand (mcm) 53 6,936 16,857 14,182 224 2,742 2,366 6,647 2,221 345 1,629 31,213 3,061 78,093 97 6,093 8,579 5,086 62,225 853 1,821 587 373 31,894 4,825 22,123 3,634 2,375 336 53,262 9,471 2,862 4,397 877 27,808 892 2,975 20,820 62,422 12,904 8 Appendix 2: Methodology Self-sufficiency Data for natural gas was extracted from the IEA database. Self-sufficiency was determined from data on production and demand (production (mcm) ÷ demand (mcm)). Diversity index The diversity index used here is a product of a standard diversity index and an index for political stability. As a basic index for measuring diversity, we used the Shannon-Wiener diversity index: 𝑛𝑛 � −𝑥𝑥𝑖𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙(𝑥𝑥𝑖𝑖) Where x is the proportion of total natural gas supply represented by the ith source country and n represents the 𝑖𝑖=1 final source country. A value below 1 signifies a country that is dependent on a small range of import sources, a value above 1 represents a country with a wider range of import sources. The minimum value of zero denotes a country that has one imported fuel source or relies entirely on production (or a country with no imports). The Shannon-Wiener was chosen here because it places weight on the diversity of contributions from smaller countries and reduces the impact of larger nations. Political stability was determined using data from the World Bank worldwide governance indicators. Specifically, the index reflects perceptions of the likelihood that the government will be destabilized or overthrown by unconstitutional or violent means, including politically motivated violence and terrorism. These data were standardised between 0 and 1. Source: World Bank http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/index.aspx#home Shannon-Wiener and political stability indices were multiplied and summed: 𝑛𝑛 � −𝑥𝑥𝑖𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙(𝑥𝑥𝑖𝑖)𝑏𝑏𝑖𝑖 𝑖𝑖=1 Where b is an index of political stability of producing country. This is called the SWNI (Shannon-Weiner- Neumann index), in line with previous work. Each SWNI index was normalised between 0 and 1, in order to have a standardised index. This was done by working out a maximum diversity score, by assuming maximum diversity was equivalent to importing products in line with proportional contributions of exporting countries (e.g. if a single country were responsible for exporting 50 per cent of all natural gas, and five other countries were responsible for 10 per cent each, we assumed maximum import diversity at a ratio of 5:1:1:1:1:1). This maximum diversity score then acted as our upper score of 1, with all other scores divided by this maximum to standardise the data. Other sources of gas Sometimes, due to a variety of reasons, countries may report an import of natural gas from a “Non-Specified/ Other” source country. Border Point Data was used to reallocate imports for Austria, Hungary, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Slovak Republic, and Ukraine, which is available at https://www.iea.org/data-and- statistics/data-product/gas-trade-flows#gas-trade-flows. This data is collected by the IEA and shows monthly gas flows in Europe. 9 © Crown copyright 2025 This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. Where we have identified any third-party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. This publication is available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/energy-trends If you need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email energy.stats@energysecurity.gov.uk Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use. 10 Special article – Energy Trends collection 18 December 2025 Electricity generation and supply in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England, 2020 to 2024 will.york@energysecurity.gov.uk William York 07856 933811 Introduction This article examines the variation of electricity generation and consumption in the four nations of the United Kingdom. It updates and extends the previous version, published in December 2024. The UK data in this article is taken from chapters 5 and 6 of the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES) 2025 and the definitions match those in DUKES. The main text covers the latest five years of data and the corresponding timeseries (including the latest revisions) for 2004 to 2024 can be found in the accompanying Excel spreadsheet. Key headlines • UK total electricity generation in 2024 was 285 TWh, a decrease of 3.1 per cent compared to 2023. This is the lowest electricity generation on the published data series. • UK renewable generation surpassed 50 per cent of total generation for the first time. Trends were mixed across the nations with decreased renewable generation in Wales and Northern Ireland but increases for England and Scotland. • UK fossil fuel generation decreased by 16 per cent compared to 2023. The last coal-fired power plant closed in September 2024. All regions except Northern Ireland saw a fall. • UK nuclear generation remained similar to 2023 but was the lowest value on the published data series, due to continued maintenance and refuelling outages. • The low carbon share of total UK generation stood at its highest value on the time series at 64.7 per cent, with a 62.6 per cent share in England, 90.0 per cent in Scotland, 33.5 per cent in Wales, and 44.1 per cent in Northern Ireland. • Net imports of electricity to the UK from Europe totalled a record 33.4 TWh in 2024, with imports from Europe also reaching a record in the published data series due to favourable price differentials. Generation, consumption, and trade During 2024, the UK generated 285 TWh of electricity. This was a decrease of 3.1 per cent compared to 2023 and was the lowest UK generation figure on the published data series. This was due in part to favourable price differentials across interconnectors which led to increased electricity imports from Europe, displacing domestic gas generation. Demand increased from 317 TWh to 319 TWh, similar to 2022 levels. Generation has been on a downward trend since 2016, except for a year-on-year increase in 2022 when nuclear outages in France led to increased UK generation for exports. From 2023 to 2024, Scotland and Northern Ireland saw increases in electricity generation, while England and Wales decreased. Scotland increased by 7.7 per cent and Northern Ireland increased by 4.1 per cent. England decreased by 5.4 per cent and Wales decreased by 6.7 per cent from 2023’s figure. Chart 1 shows total electricity generation by country, between 2020 and 2024, with generation split by fossil fuel, nuclear and renewable technologies. Whilst demand for electricity increased by 0.5 per cent from 2023 to 2024, generation fell in line with increased net imports from Europe. The rise in demand (includes losses and generator’s use) is reflective of increased consumption of electricity, as seen in the regional tables. This rose 0.8 per cent to 272 TWh. 1 Chart 1: Total electricity generation by country (all generating companies), 2020 to 2024 Shares of electricity generated by nation remained similar to the previous year, with England generating the largest share at 70.7 per cent, falling by 1.7 percentage points relative to 2023 with lower fossil fuel generation. Scotland, driven by increased wind generation, accounted for the second largest share at 18.2 per cent, increasing by 1.8 percentage points. Wales’s share decreased to 8.0 per cent, by 0.3 percentage points. Northern Ireland’s share increased by 0.2 percentage points to 3.1 per cent. UK fossil fuel generation decreased by 16 per cent from 2023 to 2024, to 91 TWh. This was the lowest figure on the published data series for the second consecutive year. The share of generation from fossil fuels has fallen each year since 2021, reaching 31.8 per cent in 2024 – a 4.8 percentage point drop on 2023. This year-on-year decrease in fossil fuel use reflects increased wind and solar capacity and reduced total generation due to higher net imports. England had the largest year-on-year decrease in fossil fuel generation, down 19 per cent to 69 TWh. Northern Ireland increased 14 per cent to 4.9 TWh but remained lower than in 2022. Wales saw a decrease of 7.4 per cent to 14 TWh while Scotland saw a 4.5 per cent decrease to 3.6 TWh. The last UK coal-fired power station closed in England in September 2024. Gas fired generation fell in all regions except Northern Ireland, where domestic gas generation displaced imports. Gas-fired generation accounted for the majority of fossil fuel generation - a 30.4 per cent share of total generation in 2024, down 4.2 percentage points. Coal-fired generation fell 46 per cent and totalled 2.0 TWh, a 0.7 per cent share. Oil was used to generate 1.8 TWh of electricity, a fall of 9.3 per cent to a 0.6 per cent share. UK nuclear generation remained similar to 2023, at 40.6 TWh - 14.2 per cent of total UK generation. Scotland and England are the only nations with nuclear power plants. There has been no nuclear generation in Wales since the closure of Wylfa in Wales in 2015. Regional nuclear generation also remained relatively consistent from 2023, with Scotland falling 3.6 per cent to 8.7 TWh and England rising 1.0 per cent to 32 TWh. Renewable generation surpassed 50 per cent of total generation for the first time, increasing by 5.1 per cent on 2023 to a record 144 TWh in 2024. Alongside lower total and fossil fuel generation, renewables’ share of generation rose 3.9 percentage points to 50.4 per cent. While average daily sun hours were lower and average wind speeds similar to 2023 [ET Ch.7], renewable generation benefitted from increased capacity in 2024, including approximately another 1 GW of installed wind capacity and 2 GW of solar [ET 6.1]. England and Scotland accounted for the majority of renewable generation and both increased, while there were