UK electricity cleanest on record in 2024: study

LONDON: Britain produced its cleanest electricity on record last year, with fossil fuel output at an all-time low and renewables reaching a record high, according to a study.

Oil, gas, and coal together generated 29% of the UK's electricity in 2024, while renewables, including wind and solar power, accounted for 45%, as per analysis from climate and energy website Carbon Brief on Thursday.

Britain's last coal-fired power station closed in October, making the UK the first G7 country to end its reliance on coal for electricity. The Labour government followed this up in November with plans to ban new coal mines.

Carbon Brief also reported that nuclear energy produced 13% of Britain's electricity last year, while 11% was imported. Gas-fired power stations remained the UK's single largest source of electricity in 2024. However, Carbon Brief forecast that the nation's wind power would likely generate more electricity than gas this year.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government has pledged to reduce UK greenhouse gas emissions by 81% from 1990 levels by 2035, as part of plans to reach net-zero by 2050. Britain has spearheaded a push into low-carbon energy as part of its strategy to combat sky-high domestic electricity and gas bills, which surged after Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, sparking a cost-of-living crisis.

Energy bills remain elevated in Britain as the country faces freezing temperatures at the start of the year.

By RSS/AFP