UK renewable energy capacity to equal thermal by 2025

1 November 2012 - Growing government support, combined with significant untapped potential, could see the UK’s renewable energy installed capacity almost match that of the traditionally dominant thermal sector by 2025, says research by energy expert GlobalData. It predicts that the cumulative installed capacity of renewable energy plants will reach 79,000 MW by 2025 – just 2,000 MW less than the predicted thermal installed capacity for the same year.

The renewable energy industry is the fastest growing segment in the UK’s power mix, and is set to grow from the 11,000 MW installed capacity recorded for 2011.Wind is expected to be the country’s major contributing renewable power source in the future, surging from 6,000 MW in 2011 to reach 53,000 MW by the quarter-century point.

The UK is in an ideal location for generating wind power and is a global leader in the sector. The government has provided impressive support for the development of offshore wind energy farms and hopes to capitalise on this readily available resource.

Solar photovoltaics (PV) is also expected to exhibit strong growth in the future, climbing from just over 1,000 MW in 2011 to 13,338 MW installed capacity in 2025.