Renewable power generation increases in Scotland, data shows

Renewable electricity generated in Scotland rose by more than 50% in the last quarter, according to Government statistics.

Power generated by renewable sources north of the border in quarter three was 55.3% higher than the same quarter in 2021, the Scottish Government said on Thursday.

Over the first nine months of 2022, renewable generation was up 34.7% compared to the same period the year before, according to the Energy Statistics for Scotland report, with statisticians putting it down to increased wind and rain as well as improved renewable infrastructure.

The report said renewable electricity capacity in Scotland increased over the past year to 13.6GW in September, up 1.4GW since September 2021.

Nick Sharpe, director of communications and strategy at Scottish Renewables, said: “These figures round off what has been an amazing year for our industry.”

Michael Matheson, Scotland’s net zero and energy secretary, said the country was “perfectly placed to become a global powerhouse of renewable energy, and these latest statistics are further evidence of the progress being made”.

“Wind power is already one of the cheapest forms of electricity and our expansion plans for both on and offshore wind – supported by other renewable technologies such as hydro power – provides a fantastic opportunity to support an energy transition which not only delivers on our climate obligations, but which ensures a fair and just transition for our energy sector as we journey to becoming a net zero nation,” he said.

The Government statistics show that between 2020 and 2021, electricity consumption rose by 0.1%.

This was driven by non-domestic users, which increased usage by 6.3%, while households used 5.8% less electricity during the period.

Meanwhile gas consumption dropped by 3.3%. Domestic users used 3.8% less gas in that period, while non-domestic used 2.5% less.

The Government said 57% of electricity generated in Scotland last year was from renewable sources and 87.8% was from low-carbon sources, which includes nuclear energy.

Both have fallen since 2020, the report said, due to milder weather in 2021 compared with the year before.

As of September, some 397 renewable electricity projects, with a capacity of 17.1GW, were in the pipeline with 3.4GW of these under construction.

Most are offshore windfarms off the Moray Firth, the report said.