UK energy from waste electricity generation
UK energy from waste electricity generation stood at 1,310.21 Gigawatt hours in Q2 2026, according to GOV.UK official statistics. It is one of the indicators in the Renewables and gas supply table (Value · Quarterly), with a complete series running from Q1 2010 to Q2 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Renewables and gas supply table
| Indicator | Q2-2026 | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity generated | |||||||||||
| Energy from waste | 1,310.21 | 1,315.01 | 1,369.35 | 1,340.76 | 1,305.17 | 1,332.6 | 1,367.92 | 1,388.61 | 1,352.16 | 1,345.64 | |
| Plant biomass | 6,226.28 | 7,064.27 | 7,464.2 | 7,019.33 | 6,473.08 | 6,857.82 | 7,157.1 | 6,483.76 | 6,276.51 | 6,617.66 |
Understanding UK energy from waste electricity generation
Electrical energy generated by thermal power stations burning municipal solid waste and refuse-derived materials across the United Kingdom measures the output of energy from waste facilities. This series isolates waste incineration with energy recovery from pure biomass, fossil fuels, and landfill gas generation, quantifying the electricity produced when non-hazardous waste is combusted in controlled industrial boilers. It records the contribution of residual waste treatment to the national electricity grid.
Reading this dataset requires attention to scheduled plant maintenance outages, which can cause temporary dips in quarterly generation independent of waste supply volumes. Twelve-month comparisons are recommended to smooth out the operational impact of major periodic overhauls at large incineration plants. Users must distinguish this series from pure plant biomass generation, as waste incineration involves heterogeneous municipal materials subject to strict environmental emissions monitoring rather than dedicated organic crops or forestry by-products.
Frequently asked questions
- What fuel is utilised in energy from waste electricity generation?
- It is powered by the thermal combustion of municipal solid waste and processed refuse-derived fuels across the United Kingdom.
- What causes unexpected dips in quarterly energy from waste output?
- Scheduled industrial maintenance outages at large incineration facilities can temporarily reduce generation during a reporting period.
- How does energy from waste differ from plant biomass generation?
- Energy from waste burns mixed municipal refuse, whereas plant biomass relies on dedicated organic matter like wood or agricultural crops.