DECC releases key UK energy stats

The Department of Energy and Climate Change has released a digest of UK energy statistics for 2013, with some of the key figures as follows:

In 2013, primary energy production fell by 6.3 per cent on a year earlier, due to record low coal output following mine closures; oil and gas output were also down as output facilities were affected by maintenance issues alongside longer term decline.

Electricity generated from renewable sources in the UK in 2013 increased by 30 per cent on a year earlier and accounted for 14.9 per cent of total UK electricity generation, up from 11.3 per cent in 2012. Total renewables, as measured by the 2009 EU Renewables Directive, accounted for 5.2 per cent of energy consumption in 2013, up from 4.2 per cent in 2012.

In 2013, the UK became a net importer of petroleum products for the first time since 1984 (the year of the miner’s strike) and before that 1973; largely due to the closure of the Coryton Refinery in July 2012.

Crude oil (including NGLs) production in 2013 was 8.8 per cent lower than in 2012 at 41 million tonnes. Production has fallen by 70 per cent from its 1999 peak.

Coal production was down by 25 per cent in 2013 compared to 2012, following the closure of a number of mines.

Following on from the above, energy imports were at record levels in 2013, up 2.3 per cent on 2012 levels:

For crude oil, the key source was Norway which accounted for 40 per cent of imports, with a large growth in imports from Algeria, and Saudi Arabia.

For gas, the key source was also Norway, which accounted for 58 per cent of UK imports, with 16 per cent from the Netherlands.

LNG accounted for 20 per cent of gas imports, down from 28 per cent in 2012, with 93 per cent of these imports from Qatar.

For coal, the key source was Russia accounting for 41 per cent of UK imports, followed by the USA and Colombia, which accounted for 25 and 23 per cent respectively.