Monday 1 August 2022

‘Nearly 1.3TWh of UK wind wasted since the start of the energy crisis”

The UK has wasted more than 1,300GWh of wind since the start of the energy crisis in September 2021 due to the lack of energy storage capacity.

That's one of the findings of a new report by energy storage developer Highview Power which suggests as a result of the lack of an efficient battery capacity, the UK spent more money turning off wind farms and using gas as a backup, at a cost of more than £390 million since September 2021.

The analysis estimated the wasted wind energy, was enough to power half a million homes a day.

It suggests the lack of long-duration energy storage capabilities can be an obstacle to the UK's journey toward cutting dependence on gas and strengthening its energy security.

The authors of the report predict that this type of battery can reduce UK's gas usage by 10 megatonnes in 2035 and save the grid around £2 billion a year.