Natural gas continued to dominate the UK energy mix in May, while coal-fired power plant closures resulted in record-low levels of electricity generation from the dirty fossil fuel, an analysis of National Grid data showed. According to National Grid, gas-fired power production rose by more than 52% year on year this May to 9.97 TWh, compared with 6.5 TWh recorded during the same month last year. It accounted for more than 50% of the total UK fuel mix during the month. Increased output was reflected in a 53% year-on-year surge in gas demand for power generation, which amounted to 0.5 billion cubic meters in May, data showed. However, output from gas plants eased back from April's electricity output of 10.91 TWh amid higher nuclear generation, steady wind supplies and lower summer demand. Electricity from coal-fired power stations declined further in May, falling for the third consecutive month, to a record low of 0.91 TWh, down from 1.76 TWh in April and more than 82% lower than last May, when output stood at 5.07 TWh, the grid data showed. The fossil fuel represented 4.59% of the UK's fuel mix. Furthermore, nuclear power stations generated 5.4 TWh of electricity, fairly stable year on year and a touch above April's levels of 4.99 TWh. Wind power output was stable month on month in May at 1.6 TWh, while total imports edged higher to above 2 TWh in May, compared with around 1.8 TWh in April and last May, data showed.

Source