A section of gas pipeline is seen at a National Grid facility near Knutsford, Britain, October 11, 2021. File Photo / Reuters
London: Britain’s power grid delivered the cleanest energy on record to households and businesses across the country early on Wednesday.
A record 87.6% of power generated into the grid came from zero-carbon sources like wind, nuclear and hydropower, according to data from National Grid Plc’s Electricity System Operator. The data is a snapshot from about 4:30 am on Wednesday.
Rising generation from renewables has helped the country to reduce its dependence on more expensive and polluting gas-fired power stations. Turbines have recently produced more power than ever, but periods of low wind can cause issues for the grid, which often needs to pay a premium to turn up gas-fired stations.
On Wednesday morning, 67% of Britain’s power came from wind, with 19% from nuclear and 9.5% from gas-fired power stations. A wind generation record was set on Dec. 30, with almost 21 gigawatts of output.
