The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has today (July 29) published comprehensive data for energy trends in 2009, which confirms that renewables accounted for 6.7% of total UK electricity generation, with wind and hydro providing the largest share.

The Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES) 2010 provides comprehensive data for 2009 and an account of trends in energy supply and demand in the UK.

Following on from figures previewed in a special feature, entitled ‘Renewable Energy in 2009', and published by DECC last month (see this NewEnergyFocus.com story), DUKES reaffirms that onshore and offshore wind was the largest renewables technology in output terms in 2009, contributing 37% of renewables electricity.

Hydro and landfill gas technology followed, providing 21% and 20% of electricity generated from renewables respectively.

In terms of input, the figures show that biomass was the largest contributor to renewables at 81%, with wind generation and large-scale hydro electricity production contributing the remainder.

According to DUKES, only 2% of renewable energy comes from renewable sources other than the three outlined above.

Electricity

DECC states that nearly three-quarters (71%) of the renewable energy produced in 2009 was transformed into electricity - a similar proportion to that recorded in 2008, but a decrease from 79% in 2007 and 83% in 2006.

Explaining why there has been a decrease, the Department claims it is "because the use of biofuels for transport use has grown at a faster rate than the use of renewable for electricity generation".

Wind

The DUKES report says that total electricity generation from renewables in 2009 amounted to 25,222GWh, an increase of 3,642GWh (17%) on 2008 figures. Driving this "substantial" increase, DECC claims there has been a 31% increase of electricity generation from onshore wind and a 33% from offshore wind.

Since the introduction of the Renewables Obligation (RO) in 2002, DECC says generation from wind has increased on average by one third each year.