Wednesday 10 May 2023

Wind powers the UK more than gas for the first time

Wind powered the UK more than gas for the first time this year.

That’s according to analysis by Drax, revealing that for the first quarter of 2023, wind turbines overtook gas-fired power stations in the contribution to the country’s energy mix.

Wind provided 32.4% of the nation’s power, with gas delivering 31.7%.

This saw wind own the largest share of power for the first three months of the year for the first time in the UK’s history.

During this time, wind turbines generated 24TWh of electricity; enough to charge more than 300 million Tesla Model Ys, the analysts said.

Combining all renewable sources, green energy made up 42% of all electricity, with fossil fuels accounting for 33% and the remainder coming from nuclear and imports.

Imperial College London academics helped compile the data that made up the analysis.

Dr Iain Staffell, lead author, said: “In the space of a decade the UK has almost completely cut out coal, after relying on the most polluting fossil fuel for over a century to power our country.

“There are still many hurdles to reaching a completely fossil fuel-free grid but wind out supplying gas for the first time is a genuine milestone event and shows what can be achieved when governments create a good environment for investors in clean technology.”