The Scottish Government said on Thursday that Scotland is on track for a record year of renewable electricity generation, with output in the first half of 2017 17% greater than the same period in 2016.

It said new figures published by the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy show that renewables in Scotland delivered the equivalent of 54% of Scotland’s gross electricity consumption in 2016.

Scotland generated 24% of total UK renewable electricity in 2016.

Total energy consumption in 2015 was 15.4% lower than in 2005-2007, exceeding the Scottish Government’s 12% energy consumption reduction target for 2020.

And 17.8% of total Scottish energy consumption came from renewable sources, which is an increase of 2.6 percentage points from 2014.

Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy, Paul Wheelhouse said: “Today’s statistics show that Scotland is on track for a record year of renewable electricity generation, and that our renewable energy sector is stronger than ever.

“This reflects our commitment to clean, green energy building, and we will continue to support the renewable energy sector in Scotland.

“The future for renewable energy is bright in Scotland and these figures show that over 50% of our electricity consumption was delivered by renewables.

“A low carbon economy is not just a practical way forward, but Scotland’s clean, green energy resources are playing an increasingly crucial role in the security of our energy supply.”