Overtaking fossil fuels: UK reaches wind power milestone

Wind turbines contributed more power to the UK energy grid than gas for the first time over the first quarter of 2023.

Research from the Imperial College of London shows that a third of energy used across the UK up to March was sourced from wind farms.

This follows a record-breaking 2022 for wind power, in which it provided enough energy to power 22.8 million homes.

The UK is a world-leader when it comes to wind farms, with over 2,200 turbines operating offshore and around 1,500 onshore.

These combine for a total capacity of 28 gigawatts, which a target of reaching 40 gigawatts through offshore sources alone by 2050 currently planned by the government.

In other positive news for renewables, April also saw a record output of solar energy.

Renewable sources, including wind and solar energy, contributed 42% of the energy mix used between January and March this year.

Outweighing fossil fuels such as gas and coal, which provided around 33% of the mix.

Around 15% of our energy in the UK this year comes from other sources. This includes nuclear power and energy generated through biomass.

Despite the record-breaking figures, there is currently a backlog of renewable power with the UK’s energy grid at capacity, meaning more could be delivered if space on the grid allowed.