Solar generation increased by 18% in the second quarter of this year as renewables overtook nuclear, new data from EnAppSys reveals.

Solar in Great Britain generated 4.42TWh in Q2 2019, making up 6.3% of total generation. This is an increase of 18% on Q2 2018.

Across Europe, solar generated 40.5TWh, an 8% decrease from the same period of the previous year. It did constitute 6.5% of total generation in Europe, however, and 16.5% of total renewable generation.

Paul Verrill, director of EnAppSys, said: “[GB] solar plants contributed almost a fifth (19.1%) of renewable generation and produced 18% more power than they did in Q2 2018, when the country was still feeling the effects of the ‘Beast from the East’.

“Overall, solar, wind, biomass and hydro are combining to play an increasingly important role in Britain’s power mix.”

Renewables in the UK generated 23.1TWh of power in Q2 2019, almost double the 12.3TWh generated by nuclear plants.

Gas-fired plants took up a 40.6% share of Britain’s power mix over the quarter, followed by 33.1% from renewables, 17.6% from nuclear, 8.1% from imports and 0.5% from coal.