UK: load factor of hydropower 2023| ��ƽ��

Load factor of electricity from hydropower in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2010 to 2023 (in percentage)

Characteristic	Load factor in percentage
2023	33.4%
2022	34.2%
2021	32.8%
2020	41.6%
2019	36.1%
2018	33.2%
2017	36.3%
2016	33.9%
2015	41%
2014	39.1%
2013	31.6%
2012	35.9%
2011	39.1%
2010	25%

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Release date

December 2024

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Region

United Kingdom

Survey time period

2010 to 2023

Supplementary notes

Load factor is based on average beginning and end of year capacity. For further details on the calculation see , paragraph 6.24.

Load factor is defined as the average load divided by the peak load in a specific time period.
This statistic using original data from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and includes copyright material licensed under © Crown, the

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The load factor for electricity generation from hydropower in UK has fluctuated since 2010. In 2023, the load factor of hydro decreased from the previous year to 33.4 percent. 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 2023, hydropower accounted for approximately four percent of renewable electricity generation in the UK, generating 5,538 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 2023. In comparison, the installed capacity in England was just 43 megawatts in the same year.