UK carbon intensity drops to new low

Sunny and windy conditions combined with low demand over Easter reduced the need for fossil fuels in the energy mix

The carbon intensity of the UK’s electricity mix dropped to an intraday low of 39g/kWh of CO2 on 5 April—its lowest level ever. Sunny and windy conditions coupled with low demand led to renewable sources dominating the energy mix, with wind contributing 39pc of generation, solar 21pc and nuclear 15pc. Carbon intensity fluctuates throughout the day. For 5 April as a whole it averaged 93g/kWh, while for the month of April so far it has averaged 130g/kWh. 1.6pc – Coal’s proportion of UK electricity mix in 2020 Before the recent low, the lowest carbon intensity ever recorded was on 24 May 2020. This contributed to the UK’s lowest emitting month since the industrial revolution with an ave