The load factor for electricity generation from both small scale and large-scale hydropower in UK has fluctuated since 2010. In 2022, the load factor of small-scale hydro increased from the previous year to 38.3 percent. Load factors were typically lower for large scale hydro, except in 2015. Load factors are the ratio of how much electricity was produced as a share of the total generating capacity.
Role of hydropower in the energy mix
In 2022, hydropower accounted for approximately four percent of renewable electricity generation in the UK, generating 5,640 gigawatt-hours of electricity. Most of this was produced by large scale hydro. However, generation from small scale hydro has increased significantly since 2010.
Scottish hydropower
With its high levels of rainfall, mountains and lakes, Scotland unsurprisingly accounts for more than 80 percent of the hydroelectric resources in the UK. The cumulative capacity of hydropower in Scotland reached 1,668 megawatts in 2022. In comparison, the installed capacity in England was just 43 megawatts in the same year.
Load factor of electricity from hydropower in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2010 to 2022
(in percentage)
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UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. (July 27, 2023). Load factor of electricity from hydropower in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2010 to 2022 (in percentage) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 03, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/555705/hydro-electricity-load-factor-uk/
UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. "Load factor of electricity from hydropower in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2010 to 2022 (in percentage)." Chart. July 27, 2023. Statista. Accessed November 03, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/555705/hydro-electricity-load-factor-uk/
UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. (2023). Load factor of electricity from hydropower in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2010 to 2022 (in percentage). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 03, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/555705/hydro-electricity-load-factor-uk/
UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. "Load Factor of Electricity from Hydropower in The United Kingdom (Uk) from 2010 to 2022 (in Percentage)." Statista, Statista Inc., 27 Jul 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/555705/hydro-electricity-load-factor-uk/
UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Load factor of electricity from hydropower in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2010 to 2022 (in percentage) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/555705/hydro-electricity-load-factor-uk/ (last visited November 03, 2024)
Load factor of electricity from hydropower in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2010 to 2022 (in percentage) [Graph], UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, July 27, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/555705/hydro-electricity-load-factor-uk/