The UK’s Department of trade and Industry (DTI) has published its latest data on energy trends and prices covering the first quarter of 2006. The document shows power from coal-fired power stations rose 18.5% or 7.6 TWh, while the corresponding supplies from gas-fired generators fell by 17.4% or 6.1 TWh.
Coal’s share of the power generation sector rose to 45% while gas’ share fell to 26.5% and the contribution from nuclear fell by 0.2 TWh to 19% of the total. Net imports rose by half a percentage point to 2% of total capacity.
Looking to Europe, UK industrial electricity prices for small consumers was the seventh highest in the EU 15, whilst prices for medium, large and extra large consumers were the fifth, fourth and second highest respectively, based on available and estimated data.
According to the document, rising gas prices over the latter part of 2005 have led to a preference for coal as the main fuel source for electricity generation and generators used much more coal in the first quarter of 2006.