Wind power has overtaken fossil fuels in installed capacity.

The analysis from Imperial College London, conducted for Drax Electric Insights, reveals that wind capacity reached 27.9GW in June, surpassing the 27.7GW installed capacity of gas generation.

This marks the first time in more than a century that the UK has more installed wind capacity than gas generation, according to experts.

The development has come at a time when the output from gas power stations has seen a substantial decline of 23% in Q2 2023 compared to the same period last year, according to the report.

Additionally, output from coal power stations has plummeted by a staggering 75%, marking its lowest recorded level.

Furthermore, carbon dioxide emissions resulting from electricity production have dipped to less than ten million tonnes of carbon dioxide in the second quarter of 2023.

This achievement is only the second instance on record, the first being during the Covid-19 lockdowns when demand significantly dropped.

Dr Iain Staffell of Imperial College London, who leads the Drax Electric Insights report series, commented: “Wind power is blowing away gas and coal from Britain’s energy mix, and in just a decade, we’ve gone from relying completely on the polluting fuels of the past to embracing the clean energy technologies of the future.

“The shift to wind as the largest power source by capacity is a clear sign of the progress we’ve made, showing countries around the world that they can decarbonise their power grids when government and industry work together.”

Article source: https://www.energylivenews.com/2023/09/14/wind-power-triumphs-uks-energy-mix-breezes-past-fossil-fuels/