UK wind power pushes fossil gas to 5-year low
The UK grid is accelerating towards a 2035 gas phase-out
About
Analysis of the latest power sector data reveals that the UK is on track for the lowest gas use since 2015, as wind power takes off.
Executive summary
UK accelerates towards gas phase out
The latest power sector data shows 2020 is on track to see the UK’s lowest gas use since 2015, with a 19% fall in gas generation year to date compared to 2019. And it’s not just because of lower demand in the pandemic: now that coal is (almost) off the UK grid, renewables are beginning to replace gas. Wind power has replaced 5% of demand share from gas in 2020 so far.
As the Climate Change Committee’s Sixth Carbon Budget recommends a 2035 unabated gas phase-out, Ember’s new analysis makes it even clearer that any new UK gas capacity could quickly become a stranded asset.
The UK's gas trajectory
Gas use dips, as renewables eat up demand share
Conclusion
At the Crossroads
While gas is cleaner than coal, it is still a fossil fuel. The Climate Change Committee’s 6th carbon budget recently recommended that unabated gas should be phased out by 2035 – used only when renewable sources are unexpectedly low, and always paired with carbon capture technology. This year’s data shows that the UK could already be embarking upon the first stages of phasing out gas, but only if the government backs up its targets with concrete action.
As such, we’re backing a Client Earth legal challenge to Drax’s plan for a new 3.6GW gas plant. By approving Drax’s application at their Selby site, the Secretary of State is ruling that the climate impact of new gas capacity cannot be used to refuse planning permission. This risks entrenching fossil fuels in the UK, making it impossible to meet the commitments of the Paris agreement and limit global warming to well below 2 degrees. With COP-26 on the horizon, the government should stick to their commitment to “build back greener” in order to lead the way on electricity decarbonisation.
