Wind power is now the main source of electricity in the UK. In the first quarter of 2023, wind turbines generated more electricity than gas for the first time in the UK.
As a significant milestone in the UK's transition to a low-carbon economy, Wind power rose by 3% compared with the first quarter of 2022 while gas-fired generation fell by 5%.
Other sources in the mix included:
Imports (12.6%)
Nuclear (12.5%)
Biomass (5.7%)
Solar (2.3%)
Hydro (1.5%)
Coal (1.3%)
The U.K. is home to a mature offshore wind sector that looks set to expand in the coming years, with authorities aiming for as much as 50 gigawatts of capacity by 2030. Major offshore wind farms include Hornsea 2, a 165-turbine facility that’s been described by Danish energy firm Orsted as the “world’s biggest offshore wind farm.”
UK has been a world leader in the development of wind power technology ever since, with some of the best wind resources in the world. The average wind speed in the UK is 12 mph, which is higher than many other countries. This makes the UK an ideal location for wind farms.
‘Whilst huge strides have been made in wind power, one of our biggest challenges in the UK is our grid infrastructure. There are currently more than £200 Bn worth of projects sitting in the connections queue, with around 40% of them facing a connection wait of at least a year. We currently have one of the longest grid queues in Europe,’ commented Steve Peace, wind tech expert & co-founder of Peace Marsh Renewables.
"One possible way around this problem is to have more, smaller de-centralised energy production. Companies and individuals can use renewables on their own sites to generate their own power, closely matched with their consumption. Although generally a grid connection is required, to act as a buffer (i.e; providing power when on-site energy production is low and absorbing any excess when energy production is high), the National Grid can normally cope with these smaller fluctuations."
He continued ‘We help our customers harness the power of wind to generate electricity and battery storage solutions alongside other renewable energy sources such as solar and heat recovery. It is well recognised that renewable energy solutions are our future, we support companies and individuals on their very different and often complex journeys to achieving NetZero.’
The government is due to announce a new action plan for speeding up connections later this year.
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