Source: EEA, EN19 Efficiency of conventional thermal electricity production, 2005
The above figure shows efficiency from 1990 to 2004 for electricity production and combined heat and electricity production. Projections for 2010 to 2030 are also present. You can see that efficiency has been improving but are still below 50%, which is mainly due to efficiency in combined electricity and heat production.
The improvement in energy efficiency can be explained by a variety of factors. First it can be attributed to the closure of old plants, with old and inefficient technology. Then the implementation of more efficient technologies, such as the combined cycle gas-turbines, which refers to the usage of waste heat to make steam and generate additional electricity. Also an important improvement is switching from coal to natural gas, which is due to environmental regulation and also to the lower cost of electricity production. The last can change in the future due to the relative price of gas compared to coal.
Projections from 2010 to 2030 point to increasing efficiencies. This will be explored later.
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