London (Platts)--31Jul2014/935 am EDT/1335 GMT

Power generation in the UK from renewables jumped 30% in 2013, with wind generating a record level of 30.5 TWh, according to the Department of Energy and Climate Change Thursday.

Renewables accounted for 14.9% of electricity generated in the UK during 2013 at 53.7 TWh, the DECC report said, with supply from wind and solar increasing steadily since 2000 due to a rise in installed capacity.

In 2013, onshore wind power generation jumped 40% on year to 17 TWh, while the offshore wind output rose 52% to 11.4 TWh.

"Investment in renewable energy is paying off, UK energy minister Ed Davey said in a separate statement Thursday. "Renewable electricity has more than doubled in just four years -- with around 15% of Britain's electricity already coming from clean renewable sources like wind, solar and hydro."

Bioenergy was up 24% reflecting conversion of some coal plants and solar PV power generation rose 51% to 2 TWh, data showed.

On the other hand, hydro generation fell by 11% as the average rainfall levels in hydro areas in 2013 were 9% lower than in 2012, the report said.

Meanwhile, the report said that the rise in installed capacity was mainly in the areas of wind, particularly from 2009, the growth of photovoltaics and the conversion of coal plants to biomass.

Between 1996 and 2013, the UK's total installed capacity has increased gradually from 73.6 GW to 94.1 GW, data showed.

"Renewables capacity has seen a significant increase, with the installed capacity of renewables increasing by almost nine times the installed capacity in 1996 to 19.7 GW," DECC said.

Furthermore, the report also highlighted that conventional steam, which includes coal, gas turbines, oil engines mixed/dual fired and co-firing, declined initially in favor of combined cycle gas turbine plants (CCGT) but more recently in favor of an increase in renewables.

Conventional steam declined by 18% in 2013 on year to 26.6 GW following the part-conversion of Drax power station from coal to biomass, as well as plant closures under the Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD).

CCGT capacity has increased almost threefold over the period 1996-2013, from 12.7 GW to 35.1 GW, the report said.

--Anuradha Ramanathan, anuradha.ramanathan@platts.com
--Edited by Maurice Geller, maurice.geller@platts.com

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