HC Deb 19 February 1991 vol 186 cc69-71W
Mr. Salmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the amount of electricity generated in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; what proportion was generated from(a) coal, (b) oil, (c) gas, (d) nuclear and (e) renewable energy sources; and what proportion of the electricity from each of these sources was (1) generated and (2) consumed in (i) Scotland, (ii) England, (iii) Wales and (iv) Northern Ireland.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

The amount of electricity generated by the major generating companies in the United Kingdom in each of the past five years was as follows:

Percentage share by country of fuels used2
Fuel3
Coal Oil4 Nuclear Renewable energy sources5
per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent.
1986
Scotland 6 12 22 95
England and Wales 94 65 78 5
Northern Ireland 0 22 0 0
1987
Scotland 7 7 22 94
England and Wales 92 65 78 6
Northern Ireland 1 27 0 0
1988
Scotland 6 20 23 95
England and Wales 94 53 77 5
Northern Ireland 0 27 0 0
1989
Scotland 5 6 26 95
England and Wales 94 71 74 5
Northern Ireland 1 23 0 0

The amount of gas used to generate electricity accounted for less than 0.1 per cent. of the total.

The proportion of United Kingdom electricity sales in Scotland, England Wales, and Northern Ireland was as follows. Data for 1990 are not yet available.

per cent.2
Sales of electricity6 1986 1987 1988 1989
Scotland 10 10 10 10
England 82 82 82 82
Wales7 6 6 6 6
Northern Ireland 2 2 2 2

Sales of electricity cannot be linked to fuels used in generation.

Electricity generated1
Year GWH
1986 282,272
1987 282,696
1988 288,543
1989 292,911
1990 2299,712
2estimate

The proportion of electricity generated by the major generating companies in the United Kingdom from coal, oil, gas, nuclear and renewable sources was:

Percentage share of fuel used in electricity generation2
Fuel3 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990
Coal 72 76 72 69 70
Oil4 9 7 8 8 10
Nuclear 17 16 18 21 19
Renewable energy sources5 2 2 2 2 2

The amount of gas used to generate electricity accounted for less than 0.1 per cent. of the total.

The proportion of electricity generated by the major generating companies in the United Kingdom from each of the previous sources in Scotland, England Wales, and Northern Ireland for 1986 to 1989 was as follows. Data for England and Wales are not available separately and data for 1990 are not yet available.

(1) Information published in Energy Trends Table 15 and in Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (1990 Table 53). Coverage is for the major generating companies in the United Kingdom formerly comprising the public supply system: National Power, PowerGen, Nuclear Electric, National Grid Company, Scottish Power, Scottish Hydro, Scottish Nuclear, Northern Ireland Electricity Service, Midlands Electricity and South Western Electricity.

(2) Due to rounding the sum of the constituent percentage may not equal 100.

(3) Information published in Energy Trends Table 16 and in Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (1990 Table 49). Coverage is for the major generating companies in the United Kingdom formerly comprising the public supply system (see note 1).

(4) Includes oil used in gas turbines and diesel plant, for lighting up coal fired boilers, and Orimulsion.

(5) Includes natural flow hydro, wind and refuse-derived fuel.

(6) Information published in Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (1990 Table 58).

(7) Relates to sales in Wales by MANWEB and South Wales Electricity.

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