Gwynt y Mor Offshore Wind Farm, located in waters off the Welsh coast. The UK has a mature offshore wind industry.
Ben Birchall | PA Images | Getty Images
Wind power was the UK’s largest source of electricity in the first quarter of 2023, surpassing gas and underscoring the growing role that renewables will play in the coming years.
Wind turbines provided 32.4% of the UK’s electricity in the first three months of this year, according to researchers at Imperial College London. Natural gas, a fossil fuel, accounts for 31.7% of the electricity fuel mix.
The results were made public ahead of publication in Drax Electric Insights, an independent report prepared by the Imperial team.
in a statement on Wednesday Draxan energy company, explain This is the first time that wind energy “provided the largest share of electricity in any quarter in the history of the country’s grid”.
Other sources in the mix include:
- Import (12.6%)
- Nuclear (12.5%)
- Biomass (5.7%)
- Solar (2.3%)
- Hydropower (1.5%)
- Coal (1.3%)
In its statement, Drax said wind power generation increased by 3% compared to the first quarter of 2022. In contrast, natural gas generation fell by 5%.
According to the analysis, the wind turbines generated 24 terawatt-hours of electricity. That was enough to collect more than 300 million euros, Wednesday’s announcement said. tesla Y type.
“The renewable energy revolution has changed the way the UK gets electricity, making our grids cleaner and greener,” said Iain Staffell of Imperial College London, lead author of the Drax Electric Insights series.
“There are still many hurdles to achieving a completely fossil-fuel-free grid, but stopping the supply of natural gas for the first time is a real milestone,” he continued.
The UK has a well-established offshore wind industry that is expected to expand in the coming years, authorities said. Target is up to 50 GW Capacity to 2030.
Major offshore wind farms include Hornsea 2, a 165-turbine facility described by Danish energy company Orsted as “the world’s largest offshore wind farm”.
Hornsea 2 is now fully operational with a capacity of over 1.3 GW, but other projects off the UK coast will be even bigger.
In the north-east of England, the North Sea, Dogger River Wind Farm Once fully up and running, the total capacity will be 3.6 GW.
The project is being developed in three phases and its backers say it will be able to power six million UK homes.The fourth phase of the wind farm, known as Dogger Bank Dwas also raised.