UK energy production down 6% in 2009
31 Mar 2010
London – Total energy production in the UK in 2009 was 166.8 million tonnes of oil equivalent, 5.8% lower than 2008, according to the Energy Trends and Quarterly Energy Prices report by the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
According to the official data, between 2008 and 2009 coal and other solid fuel consumption fell by 14.2%, while consumption of oil and gas fell by 3.5% and 7.2%, respectively. Primary energy consumption fell for the fifth consecutive year, and at its fastest rate since 1980.
Coal production last year – including an estimate for slurry – was 1.0% down on 2008 at 17.9 million tonnes. Deep mined production was down 7.1% while opencast production was up 3.6%. Imports of coal in 2009 as a whole were 12.9% down on 2008 at 38.2 million tonnes.
Total demand for coal in 2009 as a whole, at 48.8 million tonnes, was 16.1% lower than in 2008, with consumption by electricity generators down by 16.9%. Coal stocks showed a seasonal fall of 0.6 million tonnes during the fourth quarter of 2009 and at the end of December 2009 stood at 24.4 million tonnes, 6.0 million tonnes higher than at the end of December 2008.
UK production of crude oil and NGLs in 2009 was 5.1% lower than in 2008 at 68.0 million tonnes. Six new fields started production in 2009 but these were insufficient to offset the continued decline in production from older established fields.
The UK was a net importer of oil and oil products by 6.8 million tonnes in 2009, though overall demand for oil products in 2009 was 4.4% lower than in 2008.
Total indigenous UK production of natural gas in 2009 was 14.3% lower than in 2008. However, imports and exports of natural gas were 12.0% and 11.8% higher respectively in 2009 than in the previous year. LNG accounted for around 25% of gas imports in 2009, while demand for gas in 2009 as a whole was 7.7% lower than in 2008.
Natural gas use for electricity generation in 2009 was 349 TWh, 6.6% lower than 2008’s record level. Provisionally, consumption in the domestic sector fell by 5.4 per cent in 2009 as a whole. Consumption in the industrial sector fell 22.2 per cent while consumption by other final users fell by 10.4% in 2009.
Among electricity suppliers, fuel used by generators in 2009 as a whole was, in total, 4.9% lower than in 2008. The supply from coal in 2009 fell by 17.5%, while from gas-fired stations supply decreased by 8.2%. Output from nuclear stations rose by 31.8%, while wind, hydro and other renewables’ supply rose by 12.7% (+2.7 TWh), within which wind energy increased by 19.9%.
Average industrial gas prices including CCL (the Climate Change Levy) were 32.0% lower in real terms in Q4 2009 compared to Q4 2008, and excluding CCLthey were 32.8 per cent lower in real terms. Including CCL prices came in 17.3% lower in real terms in Q4 2009 compared to Q4 2008, whilst prices excluding CCL were 17.9% lower.
Average coal prices were 5.9% higher including CCL and 6.4% higher excluding CCL in real terms in Q4 2009 compared to Q42008. Heavy fuel oil prices were 2.0 per cent higher in real terms than a year ago
