UK landfill gas electricity generation
UK landfill gas electricity generation stood at 621.08 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 | |||||||||||
| Landfill gas | 621.08 | 655.8 | 663.11 | 663.15 | 669.75 | 684.16 | 710.8 | 715.93 | 739.61 | 733.26 | |
| Anaerobic digestion | 863.09 | 885.07 | 880.1 | 885.56 | 909.52 | 903.55 | 885.15 | 876.9 | 879.46 | 866.24 |
Understanding UK landfill gas electricity generation
Electrical energy produced by capturing and burning methane gas extracted from waste disposal sites across the United Kingdom measures the output of landfill gas generation plant. This series isolates landfill gas combustion from other biomass, waste, and renewable sibling measures, quantifying the electricity generated when trapped municipal decomposition gases are harnessed in internal combustion engines or turbines. It reflects the utilisation of legacy waste liabilities for energy recovery.
Reading this series requires recognising the long-term, gradual decline profile characteristic of degrading waste sites, which generally prevents sudden output surges seen in solar or wind sectors. Sequential quarterly comparisons are usually stable, but year-on-year analysis remains the standard method for identifying structural changes as older sites exhaust their methane yields. Analysts should note that revisions are infrequent compared to weather-dependent renewables, though administrative corrections to operator returns can occur in subsequent statistical releases.
Frequently asked questions
- What fuel source drives landfill gas electricity generation?
- It is powered by methane gas captured from decomposing waste within landfill disposal sites across the United Kingdom.
- Why does landfill gas generation tend to show stable quarterly patterns?
- Methane extraction rates from waste sites decline gradually over long periods rather than fluctuating wildly like weather-driven sources.
- How frequent are revisions to landfill gas generation data?
- Revisions are generally minimal compared to intermittent renewables, though occasional administrative corrections occur as operator returns are finalised.