Scotland’s renewable energy sector had a bumper 2011, new figures suggest. Green energy trade body Scottish Renewables is claiming it could be “record breaking.”

DECC’s latest energy trend figures show that in the first nine months of this year, Scotland equalled 83% of total renewable electricity production in 2009 and 94% of 2010.

Jenny Hogan, Director of Policy for Scottish Renewables said this could see 2011 “a record breaking year” for Scotland’s renewables industry.

She said: “This industry is punching well above its weight compared to the rest of the UK. Despite having only 8% of the total UK population, Scotland produced 37% of the UK’s total renewable electricity generation in 2010.

“In that one year Scotland’s renewables industry generated almost as much electricity as Dounreay’s nuclear reactors did over their 30 year lifetime.”

Scotland has a target of cutting 42% of its CO2 emissions by 2020.