In the first three months of this year, wind farms generated more power than gas-fired power stations according to new figures published by Drax.
In Q1 of 2023, wind power generated some 24 TWh of electricity, which is powerful enough to charge over 300 million Tesla Model Ys. As a proportion of the UK’s energy needs, wind provided 32.4% of the country’s electricity, edging out gas-fired power stations at 31.7%. While this gap is narrow, it marks the first time that wind has been the largest source of power in a full quarter.
While traditional oil and gas majors appear to be losing customers for their gas, these companies also have their own wind projects as part of their transition to becoming net-zero companies. They also provide lubricants like the Shell and Castrol gear oil and grease for the wind sector.
Imperial College’s Dr. Iain Staffell, who was lead author of the report with the finding, said that despite relying on coal for over a century, the country has managed to almost entirely stop using it within a decade. He also said:
“There are still many hurdles to reaching a completely fossil fuel-free grid, but wind out supplying gas for the first time is a genuine milestone event, and shows what can be achieved when governments create a good environment for investors in clean technology.”
The UK currently has about 14 GW in installed wind power capacity, and the government intends to raise this to 50 GW by the end of this decade.
