Written by David McPhee
A “blustery week” in the UK has seen wind power generate the most amount of
energy over the last seven days.
Onshore and offshore wind farms in the UK supplied 35.6% of electricity
generation, more than gas (31.2%) and nuclear (21.3%) between Friday 8 and
Thursday 14 March.
On its own, offshore wind generated 21.4% of all electricity required last
week.
The new figures reflect a number of first this year, such as turbine blades
at Aberdeen Bay wind farm clocking record speeds during January’s gale
force winds.
Storm winds which battered Scotland averaged up to 67mph in the north-east,
causing the world’s most powerful blades to hit a top speed of 192mph.
It also comes following the agreement of an Offshore Wind Sector Deal
between the UK Government and industry which will see the current 7,899
megawatts (MW) of offshore wind capacity in the UK grow to over 30,000 MW
by 2030.
RenewableUK’s deputy chief executive Emma Pinchbeck said: “We’ve had a very
blustery week, and that’s good news because wind has outstripped every
other power source.
“It’s further proof that wind is playing a central role in keeping Britain
powered up at a chilly time of the year”.
“It’s also interesting to see that offshore wind outperformed nuclear this
week – showing the way our modern energy mix is changing, with low-cost
wind energy becoming the backbone of our clean energy system”.
“This comes just after last week’s announcement of the Offshore Wind Sector
Deal, which will see our industry grow to support 27,000 highly-skilled
jobs by 2030, and the UK’s offshore wind supply chain generating billions
every year in exports, as well as providing more goods and services for
offshore wind projects in UK waters”.
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