UK wind energy is reaching a record high as it supplies 70% of the UK’s electricity, promising data shows
Tapping into renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy will be crucial to limit CO2 emissions and prevent a climate crisis.
Now it seems that Britain is well on its way to completely ‘clean’ energy, as it now relies on wind energy more than ever.
Britain’s wind turbines have set a new maximum wind record, reaching 22,243 megawatts for the first time on Sunday evening (December 15) – providing 54 percent of the country’s electricity supply.
This is an improvement on the previous maximum wind record of 21,998 MW, set on January 10, 2023, the National Energy System Operator (NESO) reveals.
Meanwhile, as of 4:30 a.m. on Monday morning, the wind was responsible for 70 percent of the country’s electricity supply – or 21,123 MW.
Wind energy is an environmentally friendly, renewable energy source, unlike coal and gas (both fossil fuels).
Scattered across Britain, wind turbines harness energy from the wind by using mechanical energy to run a generator and produce electricity.
The new record comes as the government plans to ‘clean up’ the UK energy system by decarbonising the electricity grid by 2030.
Wind turbines can be found both on land and at sea. Wind turns the propeller-like blades of a turbine around a rotor, which turns a generator, which produces electricity. The new record comes after the government announced plans to decarbonize the electricity grid by 2030
The new wind record was posted on X (Twitter) by NESO, which manages the UK’s electricity system and plans the gas system.
This was brought in as Britain experienced above-average winds on Sunday night, including in Scotland, which is densely populated with wind turbines.
Overall, 54 per cent of the UK’s energy was supplied by wind power by around 6.30pm on Sunday, rising to 67 per cent on Monday morning and since falling to 29 per cent on Tuesday morning.
Barnaby Wharton, director of future electricity systems at industry body RenewableUK, said it was “fantastic to see wind power breaking records”.
“(Wind is) once again at the heart of our modern clean energy mix, powering Britain at the coldest and darkest time of year and strengthening our energy security,” he said.
“We know that a system dominated by wind and solar energy has the lowest costs for bill payers, and we look forward to working with the government now that it has a clear roadmap to achieve this.”
Britain has thrown several energy sources into the so-called ‘mix’ – from wind to gas, solar, biomass and nuclear.
Our energy mix fluctuates daily depending on demand and the amount of energy generated from each source.
NESO continuously monitors Britain’s energy mix. This chart shows the share of energy sources in the UK mix over the past six days
The record was posted on X (Twitter) by the National Energy System Operator (NESO), which manages the UK’s electricity system and plans the gas system.
Our energy mix fluctuates daily depending on demand and the amount of energy generated from each source. Pictured: offshore wind turbines in Liverpool Bay
For example, on a windy day we can generate more wind energy than on a non-windy day. That’s why we can’t rely solely on wind to meet Britain’s energy needs.
According to NESO, 29.8 percent of the mix consists of wind on Tuesday morning, but gas (a fossil fuel) makes up an even larger part: 37 percent.
Meanwhile, nuclear energy currently makes up 11.8 percent of the mix, imports from other countries 8.6 percent, biomass 6 percent and hydropower 2 percent.
Biomass is organic material that is burned to release stored energy, while hydropower uses the kinetic energy of moving water to generate electricity.
Meanwhile, oil, another fossil fuel, makes up less than 1 percent of the UK mix.
Gas, coal and oil are all considered fossil fuels because they are formed from the fossilized, buried remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago.
When fossil fuels are burned, large amounts of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) are released, which traps heat in our atmosphere, causing global warming.
It is unclear exactly when Britain will stop using gas, although the government aims to phase out 80 percent of gas boilers from British homes by 2035.
Eastern Green Link 2 will move clean energy from Peterhead in Aberdeenshire to Drax in North Yorkshire, while a shorter line called Eastern Green Link 1 will run from Torness near Edinburgh to Hawthorn Pit in County Durham. A similar line along the west coast, known as Western Link, already transports energy between Hunterston in Scotland and Flintshire Bridge in Wales
In Britain, the last remaining coal-fired power station, at Ratcliffe-on-Soar near Nottingham, switched off its generators for the last time on September 30.
Dr. Simon Evans, senior policy editor at Carbon Brief, expects wind to overtake gas in the mix next year.
“If we are to meet the government’s clean energy target, the share of gas would be below 5 percent and the share of wind energy well above 50 percent by 2030,” he told MailOnline.
‘The UK already gets almost as much electricity from wind energy as from gas – and by the end of the decade wind energy will dominate our supply.
‘While we still need gas-fired capacity when the wind is not blowing, the rise of wind means we will be burning much less of the fuel bought in the volatile international gas markets.’
There are already an estimated 11,000 wind turbines in and around Britain and the United States government is considering thousands more will be built around England as another way to increase the amount of energy from wind.
England and Scotland will also work together to build a ‘superhighway’ that will transport clean, wind-generated energy.
Despite its continued dependence on gas, Britain marked a huge milestone earlier this year when it finally phased out coal.
Britain’s last functioning coal-fired power station, at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire, closed for good on September 30.
It ended Britain’s nearly 150-year dependence on coal power, dating back to London’s Holborn Viaduct power station in 1882.