Industry NewsUK carbon emissions are expected to drop following reports of an increase in nuclear energy generation. Official Government data has reported an increase of over 20 per cent in nuclear output on the first half of 2011 compared to the same period in 2010. Maintenance has since cut this capacity, but overall levels are still strong and will help lead to a small drop in annual emissions, it has been forecast.
Nuclear energy levels rose nearly 6TWh to over 35TWh in the first half of 2011. The increase, reported by the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), was linked to the return of plant from maintenance.
Higher fossil fuel costs contributed to a 22 per cent drop in gas-fired output, although this did not stop a small increase in coal-fired generation. Overall, generation in the UK dropped over four per cent in the first six months of 2011.
Newswire group, Thomson Reuters Point Carbon, has indicated that the situation could lead to a 0.2 per cent drop in carbon emissions for 2011.