Wind generates more than half of UK electricity for first time ‘Truly transformative’

Wind farm technician explains how wind turbines work

As Storm Bella swept across the UK on Saturday, December 26, it brought with it wind speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. This intense wind helped Britain in its quest to move towards a renewable energy source, as more than half of the nation’s energy was created by wind on Saturday.

This is the first time renewable energies in the UK have provided more than 50 percent of the country’s power.

Energy firm Drax confirmed the percentage of wind power reached 50.67 percent – beating the 50 percent record set in August.

Drax tweeted: “For the first time ever (on Saturday), amid #StormBella, more than half of Great Britain’s electricity was generated by the wind.

“This is the first time ever wind has supplied the majority of the country’s power over the course of a whole day.”

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The news is encouraging for the British government which wants wind to consistently provide a third of the country’s electricity by 2030.

Drax added: “Britain has experienced a renewables revolution over the last decade with the growth of biomass, wind and solar power.”

The National Grid’s Electricity System Operator (NGESO) continued with the positive news by stating 2020 was a momentous year for the UK in terms of renewables.

NGESO said: “2020 was the greenest year on record for Britain’s electricity system, with average carbon intensity—the measure of CO2 emissions per unit of electricity consumed—reaching a new low.”

Also, it revealed Christmas Day saw the share of coal in the UK electricity mix stood at zero for the first time.

The figure stood at 1.8 percent on the same time last year, and 20 percent in 2009.

Julian Leslie, the NGESO head of networks, heralded Britain’s shift to renewables as a major success.

He said: “When I first joined National Grid in 1989, we were still reliant on large coal-fired power stations to generate electricity for the country.”

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Leslie went on to explain: “That was simply how electricity was generated.

“The GB energy system has changed a lot since then.

“The last 15 years have been truly transformative.

“The UK has led the world in decarbonisation, with the electricity sector slashing CO2 intensity by 60 percent between 2013 and 2019.”

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