UK renewables worth £2.5bn, but Britain near bottom of EU green energy league table
Green energy news – by GreenWise staff
3rd January 2012
Renewable energy projects are set to bring £2.5 billion worth of investment into the UK economy, but Britain is nevertheless languishing near the bottom of an EU league table on green energy, new figures reveal.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has published new figures on its progress to source 15 per cent of all
energy from
renewable sources by 2020. The data, according to DECC, shows that businesses are planning to invest close to £2.5 billion in
renewable energy projects in the UK, with the potential to create almost 12,000 jobs. However, figures released by the European Commission this week, show that the UK is languishing third-bottom in a European Union league table on renewable energy consumption.
Biggest gap
According to the European Commission statistics, which were revealed as part of the EuroObserv’ER project, renewable energy makes up 3.3 per cent of the UK’s energy mix, only slightly more than two other EU member states – Malta and Luxembourg. The figures also reveal that, out of all 27 EU states, the UK has the biggest gap to bridge to meet its 2020 renewable energy target. The UK needs to increase its share of renewables by 11.7 per cent over this decade.
Top of the EU league table was Sweden with 46.9 per cent of the national energy mix sourced from renewables. Latvia was the second best performer, with 34.3 per cent sourced from green energy, followed by Finland (33.6 per cent), Austria (30.7 per cent) and Portugal (24.7 per cent).
According to DECC, the UK has achieved a 27 per cent increase in renewable energy consumption from 42.6 terrawatt hours (TWh) in 2008 to 54 TWh in 2010 – representing 3.3 per cent of total energy consumed. Wind accounted for 46 per cent of all renewables, increasing from 7 TWh in 2008 to 10.2 TWh in 2010.
Energy Secretary Chris Huhne said the UK figures were a positive step forward.
"Renewable energy is not just helping us increase our energy security and reduce our emissions. It is supporting jobs and growth across the country, and giving traditional industrial heartlands the opportunity to thrive again," he said.
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