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UK wind power hits new generation peak
24 March 2013
RenewableUK reports that for the first time, wind energy in the UK generated over five gigawatts of electricity consistently over a 24 hour period.
A rural wind farm (photo courtesy of RenewableUK)
RenewableUK is celebrating the fact that for the first time, wind energy in the UK generated over five gigawatts of electricity consistently over a 24 hour period, with the period starting on Thursday 21st March 2013 at 9:30pm and continuing for the rest of Friday 22nd March 2013.
This means that for this 24 hour period wind was generating enough to power the equivalent of nearly four out of every ten UK homes and consistently over 10percent of GB’s overall electricity needs.
In addition, a record for one-off generation in a half hour period was created at 15.30 when 5.296GW of wind was present on the grid, alongside another anticipated 2GW from distributed wind.
Maria McCaffery Chief Executive of RenewableUK said “What this shows is that wind is a stable and reliable source of power generation on the scale we need, when we need it most. This then counters the idea that wind does not generate power during cold snaps and comes at the same time as reports that the UK has only 36 hours of gas supplies in reserve, and on the day that the wholesale price of gas in the UK reached a seven year high.
"It also serves as a timely reminder of the vulnerability of supply and the price volatility of imported fossil fuels. This power production coupled with Ofgem’s own figures, announced on Thursday, which showed the real cost of wind to households is less than 20p a week is a double triumph of fact over fiction”.