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141 Million Tonnes of Oil Equivalent (Mtoe) is approx. 1644TWh of Electricity Equivalent. Primary vs Final Energy!

  • Writer: Vikram Kumar
    Vikram Kumar
  • May 24
  • 2 min read

The UK currently consumes around 1,644 terawatt-hours or 141 Million Tonnes Of Oil Equivalent (Mtoe) of primary energy each year. This figure includes all fossil fuels, electricity, and other energy sources used for transport, heating, and industry. At first glance, it may seem that fully electrifying the UK economy would require replacing this energy one for one with electricity. That is a misunderstanding of how energy systems actually function.


The majority of fossil energy is lost during conversion. Petrol and diesel vehicles lose around 70 to 75 percent of their energy as heat. Gas boilers also operate below 90 percent efficiency. Power stations that burn fossil fuels typically lose between 50 and 65 percent of the energy as waste heat. These losses are included in the total primary energy figure.

Electrification eliminates most of these inefficiencies. Electric vehicles convert about 70 percent of grid electricity into motion. Heat pumps typically deliver three to five units of heat for every unit of electricity consumed. Electric motors in industry are much more efficient than combustion systems. When we switch to electric technologies, we use much less energy to achieve the same output. This is known as final energy.

As a result, while current primary energy use is 1,644 terawatt-hours, a fully electrified UK would likely require only 500 to 700 terawatt-hours of electricity per year. This is not due to cutting services or demand, but because electricity is used far more efficiently.

In conclusion, electrification is not about matching fossil fuel inputs with an equal amount of electricity. It is about delivering the same outcomes using less energy. This insight is essential for energy planning, infrastructure design, and communication with the public on the path to a zero carbon future.


Sources

141 Mtoe × 11.63 TWh/Mtoe = approximately 1,641.8 TWh


 
 
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