UK wind energy sector smashes power generation record

Clean Technica

UK’s wind energy sector saw a number of power generation records broken in December 2013. The country’s wind energy projects generated more electricity in December than in any month before that, breaking the previous generation record of October 2013.

According to the data released by trade association RenewableUK, 2,841,080 MWh electricity was generated by wind energy projects in December, thus supplying about 10% of Britain’s total power demand in the month.

Between the 16th and 22nd of December, yet another generation record from the power plants was recorded for a period of seven days. Power plants generated 783,886 MWh electricity, providing 13% of power demand in the country for the given period.

The single-day generation record was also broken on the 21st of December 2013 when wind energy projects generated 132,812 MWh and supplied 13% of the country’s total demand that day.

Maf Smith, Deputy Chief Executive of RenewableUK was all praise for the record generation realised last month.

This is a towering achievement for the British wind energy industry. It provides cast-iron proof that the direction of travel away from dirty fossil fuels to clean renewable sources is unstoppable.

The previous monthly generation record was for October 2013 when UK’s wind energy projects generated 1,956,437 MWh, fulfilling 8% of the country’s power demand.

Britain’s wind energy sector has seen tremendous growth in the last few months or so. In its annual review of the sector for the period July 2012 to June 2013, RenewableUK reported that the wind energy installed capacity has increased by 40% to 9,710 MW; the installed capacity had increased to 10,210 MW by the end of November 2013.

For the first time, the country witnessed more offshore wind energy capacity being installed than onshore wind energy capacity. Offshore wind energy capacity grew by 79% between July 2012 and June 2013. The total new capacity added between this period brought £2 billion of economic activity in Britain, according to RenewableUK.

Source: Clean Technica. Reproduced with permission.