Britain's wind power hits a record HIGH: Turbines produce 22,711 MW - enough to power over 22 million homes across the country
Britain's wind power has hit a record high, the National Energy System Operator (NESO) has confirmed. On the evening of November 11, Britain's wind turbines set a new maximum wind record, reaching 22,711 megawatts (MW) for the first time. This beats the previous maximum wind record of 22,523 MW set on December 18 last year.At the time of the new record, wind was providing 43.6 per cent of Britain's electricity – enough to keep around 77 per cent of British homes powered. Wind power is an environmentally friendly, renewable energy source, contrasting with the likes of coal and gas (both fossil fuels). Dotted around the UK, wind turbines harness energy from the wind using mechanical power to spin a generator and create electricity. Kayte O'Neill, chief operating officer at NESO, called it a 'world–beating record' as Britain's exposed position in the north–east Atlantic makes it one of the best locations in the world for wind power. '[It shows] that our national grid can run safely and securely on large quantities of renewables generated right here in Britain,' she said. At 7:30pm on November 11, wind was providing 43.6 per cent of Britain's electricity, while gas (a fossil fuel) was providing 12.5 per cent. A further 12.1 per cent was coming from 'embedded wind' which supplies power directly to local distribution networks rather than the high voltage transmission network (bringing the overall share from wind to 55.7 per cent) Wind turbines can be found both off–shore and on land. Wind turns the propeller–like blades of a turbine around a rotor, which spins a generator, which creates electricityThe new wind record – set at 7:30pm on November 11 – was posted to X (Twitter) by NESO, which operates the UK's electricity system and for planning the gas system. It was set largely due to especially windy conditions that evening, particularly in the north of England and Scotland.At the time of the record, wind was providing a greater proportion of Britain's electricity than gas, a fossil fuel (43.6 per cent compared with 12.5 per cent). A further 12.1 per cent was coming from 'embedded wind' which supplies power directly to local distribution networks rather than the high voltage transmission network (bringing the overall share from wind to 55.7 per cent). Of the remainder, 11.3 per cent came from interconnectors with other countries, 8 per cent from nuclear, 8 per cent from biomass, 1.4 per cent from hydro, and 1.1 per cent from storage. Britain has several different sources of energy thrown into the so–called 'mix' – from wind to gas, solar, biomass, hydro and nuclear. Biomass is organic material burnt to release stored energy, while hydro uses the kinetic energy of moving water to generate electricity. Meanwhile, oil, another fossil fuel, makes up less than 1 per cent of the UK's mix, while coal is no longer used here. The record was posted to X (Twitter) by the National Energy System Operator (NESO), which operates the UK's electricity system and for planning the gas system Snapshot of Britain's energy mix on record–breaking evening of November 11 Wind – 43.6 per centEmbedded wind – 12.1 per centinterconnectors with other countries – 11.3 per centNuclear – 8 per centBiomass – 8 per cent Hydro – 1.4 per cent Storage – 1.1 per cent Source: NESO Gas, coal and oil are all considered fossil fuels because they were formed from the fossilized, buried remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. When fossil fuels are burned, they release large amounts of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2), which traps heat in our atmosphere, causing global warming.That's why governments are pushing to transition to more eco–friendly 'renewable' sources (wind, solar, hydro and biomass) – and the UK is making especially impressive progress. In 2024, wind power generated nearly 83 terawatt–hour (TWh) of electricity, surpassing other sources and contributing to a record high for clean electricity. Britain now has five of the largest wind farms in the world off its shores – including Hornsea Wind Farm, the largest in the world.And the government aims to double onshore wind and quadruple offshore wind by 2030 as part of its plan for clean power. However, our energy mix fluctuates daily depending on demand and the amount of energy generated from each source. On a windy day, we might generate more wind power than on a non–windy day – which is why we can't solely rely on wind for the UK's energy needs. This snapshot from National Grid Live shows Britain's energy mix at 9:45am this morning (November 20) – with gas (a fossil fuel) undeniably still making up a large portion According to NESO, there's been a huge increase in sustainable energy generated from wind as well as solar over the past 25 years. These clean low–carbon energy options are now producing around 60 per cent of our electricity – up from just 3 per cent in the year 2000.Britain could hit another milestone in the months ahead by running the grid for a period entirely with zero carbon power, renewables and nuclear. 'We've come on leaps and bounds in wind generation in recent years,' said O'Neill.'It really shows what is possible, and I look forward to seeing if we can hit another clean energy milestone in the months ahead – running Britain's electricity grid entirely zero carbon.' Fossil fuels versus renewable energy sources Renewable sourcesSolar – light and heat from the sun. Wind – through wind turbines to turn electric generatorsHydro – captured from falling or fast–running waterTidal – energy from the rise and fall of sea levelsGeothermal – energy generated and stored in the EarthBiomass – organic material burnt to release stored energy from the sun Although nuclear energy is considered clean energy its inclusion in the renewable energy list is a subject of major debate.Nuclear energy itself is a renewable energy source. But the material used in nuclear power plants – uranium – is a non–renewable.Fossil fuelsRenewables contrast with the more harmful fossil fuels – oil, coal and gas.They are considered fossil fuels because they were formed from the fossilised, buried remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. Because of their origins, fossil fuels have a high carbon content, but when they are burned, they release large amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the air. Source: EDF Energy /Stanford University
