New renewables record as UK wind generation blows past 20GW

The UK has notched up a new wind energy generation record, with its offshore and onshore wind farms contributing more than 20 gigawatts to the national power supply at around midday on November 3.

According to a Tweet from the National Grid ESO, wind power generated 20,896MW in the 12:30 settlement period, contributing more than half (53%) of all of Great Britain’s electricity.

“Overall, it was a VERY green day,” the tweet continues, “70% of energy was zero carbon (Nuclear, Wind, Hydro, Solar & Storage).

RenewableUK, a lobby group, notes that this is the second UK wind generation record to be set within the space of a week, after a previous record of 19,936MW was set between 11.30am and 12 noon on Wednesday October 26.

“Generating more than 20 gigawatts of electricity for the first time represents a new milestone for wind energy in Britain,” said rewnewableUK chief Dan McGrail.

“The fact that we’ve smashed the last record within the space of a week shows that wind is consistently generating vast amounts of clean power and becoming the backbone of our modern energy system.”

McGrail says the records in what has become the UK’s cheapest source of power have come at a good time for British people, struggling with high energy prices.

“It’s also strengthening our energy security at a time when generating our own electricity from home-grown sources has become vitally important,” he said.

RenewablesUK also notes that although the latest statistics represent a new electricity generation record, in terms of MW, the highest percentage of electricity generated from wind in a half-hour period is 64% on January 29 this year.