The UK’s National Grid ESO announced that onshore and offshore wind farms generated a record high of 19,936MW of electricity on Wednesday 26 October 2022.
At the new half-hourly peak, Britain’s wind farms were generating 52.2% of the nation’s electricity.
According to the UK-based association RenewableUK, the new record was set between 11.30 am and 12 noon, beating the previous record of 19,916MW set on 25th May this year.
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RenewableUK’s chief executive Dan McGrail said in a statement: “As we head towards winter, it’s reassuring for people to know that Britain’s onshore and offshore wind farms are doing the heavy lifting when it comes to keeping the lights on and reducing our reliance on expensive gas imports.
“That’s why it’s important to speed up and scale up on the amount of onshore and offshore wind capacity were installing – to boost our energy security and to reduce electricity bills for consumers, as new wind projects generate electricity cheaper than any other source”.
The National Grid’s Winter Outlook 22/23 makes it clear that the upcoming winter will be a challenging time for the UK and Europe. The system operator however has taken measures to mitigate the impact on consumers and ensure adequate supply.
The Outlook summary states: “Nevertheless, there remain scenarios, driven principally by factors outside of Great Britain which could impact upon British electricity supplies. Plans are in place to ensure the impact is minimised and the overall security and integrity of Britain’s energy systems are protected.”
