Wind power has been a rapidly growing source of electricity in the United Kingdom for the past decade. The UK has a long history of wind energy use, dating back to the early 20th century when wind pumps were used for agricultural irrigation. However, it wasn’t until the 1990s that the country began to take wind power seriously as a source of electricity generation.
In the early days of wind power development in the UK, small-scale wind turbines were installed primarily for off-grid applications, such as powering remote homes and telecommunication towers. However, as technology advanced and costs decreased, wind power began to be adopted on a larger scale. The UK government set a target of generating 10% of the country’s electricity from renewable sources by 2010, and wind power played a key role in achieving this goal.
Since then, the UK has continued to invest in wind power, and it is now one of the country’s leading sources of renewable energy. As of 2020, the UK had over 18 GW of installed wind power capacity, providing around 7% of the country’s electricity.
The recent high levels of wind generation in the UK are a result of high wind speeds and is commendable. However, it should be kept in mind that during long periods of time in November and December 2022 wind generation was down to less than 5% of UK electricity production.
Wind power in the UK reached a new milestone in January 2022, when wind turbines around the country generated a record amount of electricity during a half-hour period. The energy source provided more than half (50.4%) of the country’s power between 6-6.30pm, generating a record 21.6 GW of electricity. This broke the previous record of 20.9 GW, set on December 30th of the previous year. The latest fortnightly Winter Power Update from RenewableUK showed low-carbon power sources produced 82.5% of Britain’s electricity from 27 December to 9 January, cutting gas demand by 1.31bn cubic meters, which would have cost £2.1bn.
The future of wind power in the UK looks bright, with the government setting a target to generate at least 30% of the country’s electricity from renewable sources by 2020, and to quadruple the amount of electricity generated from offshore wind by 2030. To achieve this, the government plans to invest in new offshore wind farms, as well as in the development of new technologies such as floating wind turbines.
The UK’s wind power industry is also expected to create thousands of new jobs in the coming years, as well as significantly reducing the country’s carbon emissions. With public support for renewables hitting new record highs, it’s clear that wind power will play a crucial role in the UK’s energy future. RenewableUK CEO Dan McGrail said “Throughout this blustery winter, wind is taking a leading role as our major power source, setting new records time and time again. This is good news for bill payers and businesses, as wind is our cheapest source of new power and reduces the UK’s use of expensive fossil fuels which are driving up energy bills. With public support for renewables also hitting new record highs, it’s clear we should be trying to maximise new investment in renewables to increase our energy security.”
In conclusion, wind power has come a long way in the UK, from small-scale installations to becoming a major source of electricity. The future looks bright for wind power in the UK, with new technologies, government investments, and public support. Wind power will play a crucial role in achieving the UK’s renewable energy goals and reducing its carbon emissions. It is a cost-effective, reliable and sustainable source of energy that will contribute to the UK’s energy security and economic growth in the years to come.