Renewables output in the UK was higher than fossil fuel generation for the first time ever in the first quarter of 2020, with wind energy supplying almost as much electricity as natural gas, according to a report commissioned by Drax Group.
Clean power represented over 40% of electricity consumed in the first three months of the year, with wind delivering 30.5% and natural gas 30.6%, the Electric Insights Q1 quarterly report said.
Output from wind was up 40% on this time last year, boosted by a succession of severe winter storms that made February the windiest since records began, it added.
UK wind farms ran at all-time high capacity factors, in February averaging 50% for onshore and 60% for offshore, Drax Electric Insights said.
“This was significantly higher than fossil-fuelled power stations – 34% for gas and just 17% for coal – and higher even than the country’s nuclear reactor fleet (59%),” the report said.
Biomass delivered 6.7% of consumption, solar 2.6% and hydro 2%, Electric Insights said.
However, renewables contribution could have been even higher if the Western Link – which connects Scotland, Wales and England – had been functioning normally, Drax added.
The £1.3bn subsea cable has been fully operational in December, but suffered an unplanned outage between 10 January and 8 February which impacted around 2.2GW of wind farms, or 10% the UK’s wind capacity, it said.
“Ofgem is currently investigating the performance of the cable, which should help to alleviate constraints that force Scottish wind farms to turn off when their output cannot be transported down to the rest of the country,” the report said.