Molly Ayala
The UK has been importing electricity from abroad since 1961, with sources stating that the country has been importing record amounts of electricity from Europe in recent years. In 2015, electricity imports made up 1% of the UK's fuel imports, rising to 14.1% in 2024. The UK's electricity imports amounted to 15.5 terawatt-hours in 2022, a decrease compared to previous years. In 2024, the UK spent over £250 million on power from abroad each month, with electricity imports from Europe accounting for 20% of the country's electricity demand during the second quarter of that year.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Demand for electricity in 2023 | 29.6 GW on average (259 TWh over the year) |
| Supply through UK-based generation in 2023 | 235 TWh |
| Energy imports in 2023 | 24 TWh |
| Percentage of electricity imports in 2023 | 14.1% |
| Electricity imports in 2022 | 15.5 TWh |
| Lowest electricity import volume since 2000 | 7.1 TWh in 2010 |
| Average electricity imports over the past decade | 5% of the country's electricity |
| Electricity imports from Europe in Q2 2024 | 12.2 TWh |
| Electricity exports in Q2 2024 | 3 TWh |
| Amount spent on electricity imports in Q2 2024 | £1.561 billion |
| Amount spent on electricity imports per month | £250 million |
| Percentage of electricity demand met by imports from Europe in Q2 2024 | 20% |
| Percentage of energy from renewable and waste sources in 2015 | 9% |
| Percentage of energy from renewable and waste sources in 1998 | 1% |
| Percentage fall in the amount of energy used by the UK between 1998 and 2015 | 17% |
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What You'll Learn
UK electricity imports in 2022
The UK has been importing electricity since 1961, but the volume of imports has increased in recent years due to changing power grids and trading rules. In 2024, the UK spent over £250 million on power imports from Europe, with a record 20% of the country's electricity demand being met by imports during the second quarter of that year. This trend of increasing electricity imports is reflected in the data for 2022, which shows that the UK's electricity imports amounted to 15.5 terawatt-hours, an overall increase since the turn of the century.
The UK's electricity imports come from a variety of sources, including France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Norway, through a series of underwater cables known as interconnectors. Norway, in particular, has become a key import partner for the UK due to its extensive hydro storage capacity, which helps to balance out intermittent sources of electricity such as wind and solar power. The UK's electricity imports also consist of crude oil, natural gas, and petroleum products, with Norway and Qatar being significant exporters of natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG), respectively.
While the UK has committed to reducing carbon emissions and increasing the use of renewable energy sources, it has become increasingly reliant on imported energy in recent years. This reliance on energy imports has raised concerns about energy security, especially with the retirement of many conventional power generators like coal and nuclear stations. However, some experts argue that interconnectors can strengthen energy security by allowing the UK to export excess power generated from renewables in the future.
The UK's electricity imports in 2022, amounting to 15.5 terawatt-hours, reflect both the increasing trend of electricity imports and the complex dynamics of the country's energy landscape, including the retirement of conventional power generators and the growing integration of renewable energy sources.
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Energy imports from Europe
The UK has been importing electricity from Europe since 1961. However, the country's changing power grids and trading rules have led to a sharp increase in the number of interconnectors and the volume of power being imported in recent years. In the second quarter of 2024, the UK spent over £250 million on electricity imports from Europe, which accounted for 20% of the country's electricity demand. This was more than double the volume of power generated by the UK's solar panels.
The UK's main sources of electricity imports from Europe are France and the Netherlands. In 2015, electricity imports made up 1% of the UK's fuel imports. The UK also has established pipelines with Belgium, although gas imports from Belgium only accounted for 0.4% of the UK's gas imports in 2015.
In addition to electricity, the UK also imports other forms of energy from Europe. In 2015, the UK imported natural gas, crude oil, and petroleum products from Norway. The UK has a pipeline network with Norway, which accounted for 61% of its gas imports in 2015. The UK also imports liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar, which made up 29% of its gas imports in 2015.
The UK's reliance on energy imports from Europe has been a cause for concern. In 2021, the UK had to restart coal plants due to insufficient power imports from Europe. However, Dr Iain Staffell of Imperial College London has argued that the interconnectors can strengthen the UK's energy security if the country maintains sufficient homegrown, dispatchable generation capacity. He also noted that the UK's increasing use of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, could make exporting power a potentially lucrative option in the future.
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UK's reliance on imported energy
The UK's reliance on imported energy has fluctuated over the years, with the country importing varying amounts of electricity, natural gas, crude oil, and other fuels. In 2015, the UK's fuel imports consisted primarily of crude oil, natural gas, and petroleum products, with smaller amounts of electricity, coal, and solid fuel. While the UK has historically been a net importer of electricity, there has been an overall increase in electricity imports since the turn of the century, with a record 20% of the country's electricity demand being met by imports from Europe in the second quarter of 2024.
In recent years, the UK's reliance on imported energy has been on an upward trend, returning to levels seen in the mid-to-late 1970s. This increasing reliance on imports has raised concerns about energy security. However, some experts argue that interconnectors can strengthen energy security, allowing the UK to export its excess power as it transitions to renewable energy sources.
The UK's energy landscape is diverse, with a mix of renewable and non-renewable sources. Wind power has become a significant contributor to electricity generation, accounting for 29.4% in 2023. Scotland has played a crucial role in renewable energy, with most of the UK's hydroelectric power generation facilities and a quarter of the EU's estimated offshore wind potential.
In terms of natural gas, the UK has moved from near self-sufficiency to importing 40% of its gas in 2010. Norway has been a key import partner for natural gas and crude oil, although the proportion of imports from Norway has decreased in recent years, with more crude oil coming from OPEC countries. The UK also sources liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar, which made up 29% of its gas imports in 2015.
While the UK has made commitments to reduce carbon emissions, the system is still heavily influenced by prices set by fossil fuel plants. The transition to renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, is ongoing, and the UK is investing in innovative technologies like pumped storage hydro plants to enhance energy security.
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Energy consumption in 2019
In 2019, the total energy consumption in the United Kingdom was 142 million tonnes of oil equivalent (1,651 TWh). This figure represents a notable decrease from 2014, when the UK's energy consumption per capita was 2.78 tonnes of oil equivalent (32.3 MWh), compared to a world average of 1.92 tonnes (22.3 MWh).
The UK's energy consumption is largely driven by its import and export of natural resources, including crude oil, natural gas, and petroleum products. In 2015, a third of the UK's fuel imports were crude oil, with Norway being the primary supplier. However, by 2018, the UK was importing more crude oil from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), with Norway's contribution declining.
Natural gas has also been a significant component of the UK's energy consumption, accounting for around 29% of fuel imports in 2015. The UK sources its natural gas from various countries, including Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Qatar.
In recent years, the UK has made strides towards renewable energy sources. Scotland, for instance, has led the way with hydro-electric power generation, offshore wind potential, and marine energy systems. By 2019, Scotland had increased its target for electricity from renewables to 80% by 2020. Additionally, wind power has become an increasingly important source of energy in the UK, contributing 29.4% of electricity generation in 2023.
Despite these positive developments, the UK has faced challenges in reducing its reliance on imported energy. Between 1998 and 2015, the UK's energy consumption decreased by 17%, but its dependence on imported energy increased, returning to levels seen in the 1970s. This trend has continued, with the UK importing 40% of its gas in 2010, up from 60% self-sufficiency just five years prior.
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Energy imports from Norway
In 2015, the UK imported 1% of its electricity and 29% of its natural gas from Norway. Norway was the UK's key import partner for natural gas in 2015, accounting for 61% of its gas imports. The UK received most of its gas imports from Norway through pipelines laid under the seabed.
Norway is also a key import partner for crude oil, supplying half of the UK's crude oil imports in 2015. However, the proportion of crude oil imported from Norway has decreased in recent years, with more oil coming from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
The UK's reliance on imported energy has been on an upward trend in recent years, returning to mid-to-late 1970s levels. The UK's peak electrical demand fell from 61.5 GW in 2007 to 47.1 GW in 2022. In 2023, 14.1% of the UK's electricity came from imports, while 6.8% came from biomass, and 29.4% came from wind power.
The UK has committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions and increasing the proportion of energy from renewable sources. However, the country's ability to meet these goals has been impacted by the decline of the North Sea oil industry, which has left Britain more vulnerable to international fossil fuel markets.
To reduce their dependence on Russian natural gas after the invasion of Ukraine, Germany and Austria have increased their natural gas imports from Norway and the LNG market. However, LNG imports are more expensive than pipeline gas due to additional costs of compression, transportation, and decompression.
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Frequently asked questions
The UK's electricity imports vary year on year. In 2022, the UK's electricity imports amounted to 15.5 terawatt-hours, while in 2023, imports made up 14.1% of the electricity sector's grid supply. In the second quarter of 2024, imports accounted for 20% of the country's electricity demand.
In 2015, 9% of total UK energy consumption came from renewable sources. By 2022, renewables and nuclear energy combined provided over half of Britain's electricity. Scotland has a target of 80% of electricity from renewables, with wind power contributing 29.4% of UK electricity generation in 2023.
In 2015, the UK imported crude oil, natural gas, petroleum products, electricity, coal, and other solid fuels like wood. Natural gas made up 29% of fuel imports, with Norway being a key import partner.
In 2015, the UK imported 17% less energy than in 1998. In 2022, Britain became a net exporter of electricity for the first time in 44 years, exporting more electricity to France than it imported.
The UK imports electricity to keep up with demand when renewable sources like wind and solar power are insufficient. Interconnectors, or underwater cables, allow the UK to import and export electricity to and from other countries.
