Despite having nearly a quarter more renewable energy generating capacity than its neighbour, Scotland produced nearly half the amount of green power as England, official statistics reveal today.
According to the report released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Scotland depends largely on hydro and wind whereas England has a much larger biofuels based capacity.
Last year, rainfall in the UK was 63 per cent lower than in 2009, making it the driest year since 2003 and average wind speeds were at their lowest level this century.
In 2010 Scotland had around one fifth more renewable generating capacity than England. Renewable generation in England was 45 per cent higher than in Scotland because biofuels based capacity (the most prevalent sources in England) are used more intensively than hydro and wind, which predominate in Scotland.
In Wales generation from wind was over 4 times the generation from natural flow hydro, and Wales generates more electricity from wind than any English region. In 2010 wind generation in Scotland was nearly one-third more than in England, and almost five times as much as in Wales.
In England the region with the largest renewable capacity is the South East, where 55 per cent of capacity is from wind. When combined, the South East, North West and East regions account for nearly three-fifths of England’s renewable generating capacity. London and the West Midlands have the lowest capacities.
In England the regions with the largest generation from wind (including offshore wind with landfall in that region) were the East, North West, East Midlands and the South East; together they comprised 85 per cent of the total. Almost two-thirds of landfill gas generation came from the East of England, South East and North West.
Yorkshire and the Humber is the largest generator from “other biofuels” because of the co-firing of biomass in coal fired power stations.
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