UK wind generation hits record high, gas at record low

• 12 years ago (2012-09-13)
• Junior Isles

Europe 1089 Renewables 776

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UK wind power generation reached an all-time high of 3.36 GW this week, while gas-fired generation recorded the lowest generation level on record for a mid-afternoon weekday.

The 3.36 GW of total wind generation recorded at 3:30pm on Tuesday 11th was slightly short of the 3.8 GW forecast predicted previously, but still set a new record high, according to the National Grid.

Generation levels had surpassed previous record output levels of 3.3 GW, set on 27th August, according to energy data provider Powervision.

Data from the National Grid showed wind generation remaining consistently above 1 GW on Tuesday morning, before climbing to hit record highs and contribute 9 per cent of the UK's total generation mix.

Gas-fired power generation slumped to around 6.9 GW after 3:.00pm, or just over 20 per cent of the total energy mix.

This record wind generation comes just days after SSE and RWE’s 500 MW Greater Gabbard Offshore wind project began commercial operations as the world's largest offshore wind farm.

It will not hold this record for long though.  The 630 MW London Array is due to be completed later this year, and the 576 MW Gwynt y Mor wind farm off the coast of North Wales is expected to be completed in 2014.