European solar soars to April record as wind falls again on year

London — Solar generation jumped 25% on the year in April across Europe's five largest power markets, while wind remained below last year's level for a second month in a row, system data showed.

Solar across Germany, Italy, Great Britain, France and Spain generated 14.2 TWh in April while wind generation amounted to 20.4 TWh.

The combined 34.6 TWh was up 4% on the year and exceeded combined gas, coal and lignite generation in the five markets, down 39% to 27 TWh.

Solar for the Big 5 set a new average baseload record at 19.7 GW with midday peaks across Europe close to 80 GW, Entso-e data aggregated by WindEurope showed.

Both Germany and the UK saw the sunniest April on record, weather office data showed.

Wind, meanwhile, averaged only 28.3 GW across the five markets -- the second month with an on-year decline, but with year-to-date still 18% up on 2019 following record wind in January and February.

Overall, wind and solar output across the five markets in the first four months of 2020 was 163 TWh, the energy equivalent of 323 standard LNG cargoes or 32 Bcm of gas burn in an average efficiency gas plant.

PLATTS EUROPEAN RENEWABLES TRACKER (TWh)

Source: S&P Global Platts, TSOs

EU5 Wind/Solar vs Coal/Gas Generation (TWH)

Source: TSOs, S&P Global Platts (EU5=Germany, France, GB, Italy, Spain; German coal incl lignite)