UK energy statistics: 2014 and 4Q14

The Department of Energy and Climate Change has released two publications, Energy Trends and Energy Prices, which contain the latest UK energy statistics for 2014 and 4Q14. Energy Trends covers statistics on energy production and consumption, in total and by fuel, and provides an analysis of the year on year changes. Energy Prices covers prices to domestic and industrial consumers, prices of oil products and comparisons of international fuel prices.

2014 highlights

• Total energy production was 1.5% lower than in 2013. This rate of decrease though, was the lowest for 12 years, and was due to falls in nuclear output, and lower production of both coal and oil. Gas output increased for the first time since 2000. There was also continued growth from renewables.
• Total primary energy consumption for energy uses fell by 6.4% from 2013. When adjusted to take account of weather differences between 2013 and 2014, primary consumption fell by 2.4%.
• Final energy consumption was 5.6% lower than in 2013, with falls in the domestic, services and industrial sectors but with a rise in the transport sector. Domestic consumption fell by 14.0%, with average temperatures in 2014 at record levels. On a seasonally and temperature adjusted basis final energy consumption was 1.2% lower than in 2013.
• Of electricity generated in 2014, gas accounted for 30.2% (an increase of 3.6 percentage points on 2013) due to lower wholesale gas prices between June and August and to help meet the shortfall in generation caused by nuclear outages in the second half of the year, and coal accounted for 29.1%(a decrease of 7.4 percentage points on 2013) due to plant closures and conversions. Nuclear’s share of generation decreased by 0.6 percentage points on 2013, to 19.0% of the total due to outages in the second half of the year.
• Imports in 2014 were 8.1% lower than in 2013, with exports down 7.8% to their lowest level since 1980. As a result, net import dependency fell back to 46%.

Oil

• Indigenous production of primary oils (crude, NGL’s & feedstocks) decreased by 2.3% (3.9 million t) compared with 2013; this follows the general long term decline with production decreasing by around 8% on average per annum since 2000. However, the fall in 2014 is the smallest rate of decrease since 2007.
• Overall demand for primary oils in 2014 was 8.9% lower than last year, reflecting lower refinery demand. Indigenous production of petroleum products was 8.8% lower in 2014 compared with 2013. The closure of the Milford Haven refinery in the summer of 2014 is a contributory factor. There was also rationalisation at some other refineries.
• As a result of reduced refinery production, net imports of petroleum products were 7.9 million t in 2014, the highest annual figure since 1984 when industrial action in the coal sector led to greater demand for oil products.

Gas

• In 2014 gross production of natural gas was 0.3% higher than in 2013 and, at around 425 TWh, was the first y/y increase in production since 2000.
• Gas exports and imports were, respectively, 17% higher and 11% lower than in 2013. LNG imports were 21% higher, whereas pipeline imports were 19% lower in 2014 versus 2013. The trade position for 2014 showed net imports to be 18% lower in 2014 versus 2013.
• Gas demand fell by 9.2% versus 2013. Gas used for electricity generation increased 1.5% reflecting a large decrease in coal generation and lower wholesale gas prices, particularly during the final six months of 2014. Domestic and other final users’ gas consumption was lower in 2014, driven by a warmer first six months in 2014 versus 2013.

Adapted from press release by Rosalie Starling

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/26032015/uk-energy-statistics-2014-and-4q14-521/