UK carbon emissions fell in 2016 as coal use cut to record lows

If an unexpected 9.6% rise in indigenous energy production was the UK energy statistics headline a year ago, the main story for 2016 is the 7% fall in carbon emissions that followed large reductions in coal production, imports and use during last year. Gas was used to fill most of the power generation gap caused by the fall in coal use, while electricity from renewables crept up by 1%.

The provisional data is contained in the latest edition of Energy Trends, published by the by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

Total UK energy production in 2016 was just 1.2% higher than the 2015 figure. This increase was due to rises in output from the oil, gas, bioenergy and nuclear sectors, while coal output fell to a record low level and output from wind, solar and natural flow hydro was also lower.

Crude oil and natural gas liquids (NGL) production was 4.8% higher than in 2015, driven by new fields starting operation. Natural gas production was 3.6% higher, driven by less maintenance activity and the start-up of the new large Laggan field. However, increased domestic demand meant that gas exports were 23% lower than in 2015.

Coal production fell by half – it was 51% lower than in 2015, and at a record low level, mainly due to the closure of mines, including the last three remaining large deep mines in 2015 – Hatfield, Thoresby and Kellingley. Coal imports were also down; 66% lower as generators’ demand for coal fell to another record low.

Total energy imports in 2016 were 3.8% lower than in 2015, whilst exports fell by 0.1%. As a result, net import dependency fell back from 38% to 36%.

Total primary energy consumption was 1.5% lower than in 2015. However, when adjusted to take account of weather differences between 2015 and 2016, primary energy consumption fell by 2.5%. Final energy consumption (excluding non-energy use) was 1.1% higher than in 2015, with rises in the domestic, transport and services sectors but with a fall in the industrial sector. On a seasonally and temperature adjusted basis it is estimated to have risen by 0.6%.

Gas demand was 13% higher than in 2015, driven by increased use of gas in electricity generation, whilst electricity consumption was broadly unchanged. Electricity generation in 2016 fell by 0.2%, with the large fall in generation from coal offset by an increase from gas.  

Of electricity generated in 2016, gas accounted for 42% (up 13% compared to 2015) and coal 9.1% (a fall of 13% on 2015).

Renewable electricity generation was 83 TWh in 2016, a decrease of 1.0% on the 2015 figure, with bioenergy up by 0.7% but wind generation down by 7.0%. Renewables’ share of electricity generation decreased by 0.2% on 2015 to 24%. Renewable electricity capacity was 35 GWh at the end of 2016, a 14% increase on a year earlier.

Nuclear’s share of electricity generated increased by 0.4% on 2015, to 21% of the total. Low carbon electricity’s share of generation therefore increased slightly to 45.6% in 2016.

Meanwhile, provisional estimates show that carbon dioxide emissions fell between 2015 and 2016 by 7%; the key factor leading to this decrease was the switch in generation from coal to gas. UK net emissions of carbon dioxide were estimated to be 374mn tonnes (Mt). Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas, accounting for over 81% of total UK greenhouse gas emissions.

The decrease in emissions was mainly caused by reductions in carbon dioxide emissions in the energy supply sector, down by 19%, driven by the large decrease in power station emissions due less use of coal (as a result of reduced capacity and conversion of a unit at Drax to biomass) and increased use of gas. There was also a decrease of 10% in the business sector, driven by a reduction in emissions from manufactured solid fuels, following the closure of SSI steelworks at Redcar in September 2015.

Total carbon dioxide emissions on a temperature adjusted basis for 2016 were 378 Mt, 1.0% higher than actual emissions. This reflects the fact that temperatures in 2016 were slightly higher than the long-term average.