Plant capacity - United Kingdom

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Data period: New data for 2019 and revisions to data for 2015-2018
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Contents
Plant capacity in the United Kingdom for each year from 1996 to 2019.

Background

Plant capacity in the United Kingdom. Annual data published on the last Thursday of July with detailed commentary available
in the BEIS statistical publication the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES).

Further information
Publication
Website
Data sources & methodology
Revisions policy
Glossary and acronyms
Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES)
Electricity: Chapter 5, Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES)
Electricity statistics: data sources and methodologies
Energy statistics revisions policy
Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES): Annex B

Contacts BEIS Press Office (media enquiries) tel: 020 7215 1000 e-mail: newsdesk@beis.gov.uk
Statistician: Vanessa Martin tel: 020 7215 2995 e-mail: electricitystatistics@beis.gov.uk
5.7 Plant capacity - United Kingdom

end December
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Major power producers (1)
Total transmission entry capacity (2) 68,860 68,140 68,312 70,245 72,193 73,382 70,369 71,471 73,293 73,941 74,996 75,979 76,993 77,881 83,438 81,789 81,877 77,167 75,694 70,572r 67,965r 70,840r 72,241r
Of which:
Conventional steam stations (3): 38,230 37,395 35,081 35,647 34,835 34,835 32,227 31,867 31,982 32,292 33,608 34,134 32,823 32,831 32,839 31,763 28,523 23,141 21,282 18,714 14,607 14,311 13,284
Coal fired 25,796 25,796 25,324 25,581 24,810 24,810 22,427 22,524 22,639 22,627 22,882 23,008 23,069 23,077 23,085 23,072 23,072 20,591 18,732 17,534 13,677 13,341 12,315
Oil fired 3,989 4,069 2,829 2,829 2,933 2,933 2,708 2,930 2,930 3,122 3,638 3,638 3,638 3,638 3,638 3,638 2,338 1,370 1,370 - - - -
Mixed or dual fired (4) 8,445 7,530 6,928 7,237 7,092 7,092 7,092 6,953 6,953 6,943 7,488 7,488 6,116 6,116 6,116 5,053 3,113 1,180 1,180 1,180 930 970 969
Combined cycle gas turbine stations 12,052 12,252 14,618 16,110 19,349 20,517 20,260 21,452 23,178 23,678 24,274 24,269 26,203 26,785 31,724 30,183 33,113 32,967 31,994 29,335 29,706 31,383 31,168
Nuclear stations 12,916 12,946 12,956 12,956 12,486 12,486 12,240 11,852 11,852 11,852 10,969 10,979 10,979 10,858 10,865 10,663 9,946 9,906 9,937 9,261r 9,261r 9,261r 9,261r
Gas turbines and oil engines 1,491 1,378 1,434 1,301 1,291 1,291 1,432 1,582 1,540 1,541 1,629 1,630 1,641 1,779 1,779 1,706 1,651 1,639 1,643 1,386 1,865 1,779 2,339
Hydro-electric stations:
Natural flow (5) 1,313 1,311 1,327 1,327 1,327 1,348 1,304 1,273 1,276 1,273 1,294 1,293 1,392 1,395 1,397 1,397 1,398 1,399 1,400 1,400 1,399r 1,399r 1,401r
Pumped storage 2,788 2,788 2,788 2,788 2,788 2,788 2,788 2,788 2,788 2,788 2,726 2,744 2,744 2,744 2,744 2,744 2,744 2,744 2,744 2,744 2,744 2,744 2,744
Wind (5) (6) - - - - - - - - - - - 795 997 1,275 1,867 2,240 3,276 3,947 4,528 4,917 5,431 6,804 7,765
Solar (5) (6) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 288 400 574 649
Renewables other than hydro, wind and solar (7) 70 70 108 117 117 117 117 117 117 117 96 134 213 213 223 1,092 1,226 1,424 2,166 2,526 2,552 2,585 3,630
Other generators (1)
Total capacity of own generating plant (8) 4,409 4,625 4,990 5,388 6,258 6,296 6,336 6,793 6,829 7,422 7,407 6,763 6,700 6,945 7,006 7,315 7,423 7,430 8,718 9,119 10,047r 10,251r 10,668r
Of which:
Conventional steam stations (3) 3,229 3,240 3,248 3,315 3,544 3,464 3,325 3,480 3,275 3,269 3,059 2,924 2,749 2,408 2,360 2,437 2,373 2,045 2,108 2,171 2,097 2,023 2,384
Combined cycle gas turbine stations 608 757 1,005 1,243 1,709 1,777 1,854 1,927 1,968 2,182 2,106 2,076 1,988 2,267 2,302 2,005 2,037 1,905 1,813 1,616 1,461 1,405 1,099
Hydro-electric stations (natural flow) (5) 135 145 148 150 158 160 162 129 132 127 123 126 125 127 130 153 158 163 169 186 205r 219r 218r
Wind (5) (9) 113 135 139 150 177 184 225 312 393 658 822 246 485 625 515 596 608 905 1,094 1,234 1,504r 1,618r 1,595r
Solar (5) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 16 170 298 499 940 1,344 1,625r 1,595r 1,573r
Renewables other than hydro, wind and solar (7) 324 348 450 530 670 711 770 945 1,061 1,194 1,296 1,391 1,353 1,519 1,683 1,954 1,949 1,914 2,594 2,568 3,155r 3,392r 3,799r
All generating companies - - - -
Total capacity 73,269 72,765 73,302 75,633 78,451 79,678 76,705 78,264 80,122 81,363 82,403 82,742 83,693 84,826 90,444 89,104 89,301 84,596 84,412 79,691r 78,011r 81,090r 82,909r
Of which:
Conventional steam stations (3) 41,459 40,635 38,329 38,962 38,379 38,299 35,552 35,347 35,257 35,561 36,667 37,058 35,572 35,239 35,199 34,201 30,897 25,186 23,390 20,885 16,704 16,334 15,668
Combined cycle gas turbine stations 12,660 13,009 15,623 17,353 21,058 22,294 22,114 23,379 25,146 25,860 26,380 26,345 28,191 29,051 34,026 32,188 35,150 34,872 33,807 30,951 31,167 32,788 32,267
Nuclear stations 12,916 12,946 12,956 12,956 12,486 12,486 12,240 11,852 11,852 11,852 10,969 10,979 10,979 10,858 10,865 10,663 9,946 9,906 9,937 9,261r 9,261r 9,261r 9,261r
Gas turbines and oil engines 1,491 1,378 1,434 1,301 1,291 1,291 1,432 1,582 1,540 1,541 1,629 1,630 1,641 1,779 1,779 1,706 1,651 1,639 1,643 1,386 1,865 1,779 2,339
Hydro-electric stations:
Natural flow (5) 1,448 1,456 1,475 1,477 1,485 1,508 1,466 1,402 1,408 1,400 1,417 1,419 1,517 1,523 1,527 1,550 1,556 1,561 1,569 1,586 1,604r 1,618r 1,619r
Pumped storage 2,788 2,788 2,788 2,788 2,788 2,788 2,788 2,788 2,788 2,788 2,726 2,744 2,744 2,744 2,744 2,744 2,744 2,744 2,744 2,744 2,744 2,744 2,744
Wind (5) 113 135 139 150 177 184 225 312 393 658 822 1,042 1,482 1,900 2,382 2,836 3,884 4,851 5,622 6,151 6,934r 8,422r 9,360r
Solar (5) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 16 170 298 499 940 1,632 2,025r 2,169r 2,222r
Renewables other than hydro, wind and solar (7) 394 418 558 647 787 828 887 1,062 1,178 1,310 1,392 1,525 1,566 1,732 1,905 3,046 3,175 3,338 4,760 5,094 5,707r 5,976r 7,428r

(1) See paragraphs 5.91 to 5.93 for information on companies covered.

(2) See paragraph 5.100 for definition. Data before 2006 are based on declared net capacity.
(3) 'Conventional steam stations' does not include bioenergy for both Major Power Producers and 'other generators'.
For 'other generators', this includes combined heat and power plants (electrical capacity only).
(4) Includes gas fired stations that are not Combined Cycle Gas Turbines, or have some CCGT capability but
mainly operate as conventional thermal stations.
(5) Small-scale hydro, wind and solar photovoltaics capacity are shown on declared net capability basis, and are
de-rated to account for intermittency, by factors of 0.365, 0.43 and 0.17 respectively. See paragraph 5.101.
(6) Major wind and solar farm companies are included under Major Power Producers from 2007 and 2015, respectively,
see paragraph 5.92 and 5.93.
(7) For Major Power Producers, this is bioenergy only; for other generators, this includes bioenergy, wave and tidal.
(8) 'Other generators' capacities are given in declared net capacity terms, see paragraph 5.100.
(9) Falls in capacity in 2007, 2010 and 2012 due to re-classification of capacity to Major Power Producers.

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