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Electricity Generation

Volume 490: debated on Monday 23 March 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his most recent estimate is of the average cost per unit of electricity generated from each type of renewable source. (263021)

The generation cost of different technologies are measured in terms of levelised costs and are presented on a £ per megawatt hour basis. The Government have carried out analysis on generation costs in some detail in recent years to inform policy decisions. Some of these estimates have been published as part of the Energy Review (2006). 2008 estimates suggest the following indicative costs (£/MWh) associated with generating lMWh of electricity from renewable sources:

£/MWh

Onshore wind (80MW)

70

Offshore wind (100MW)

92

Biomass regular

80-90

Biomass energy crop

110-120

Biomass CHP

80-90

Wave

160-190

Tidal stream

150-180

Tidal range

130-160

Biowaste

90-110

Biogas

170-200