Record-breaking year for renewable electricity
The National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO – experts in renewable electricity) has revealed that several records were broken during 2022 for renewable electricity, making it the second greenest year in Great Britain after 2020:
• wind generation reached a new high of over 20GW of electricity
• February was the lowest carbon intensity month since records began, with an average of 126 gCO2/kWh
• 28 December was the greenest day on record, down to 52 gCO2/kWh.
While gas continued to provide the highest percentage of electricity used (38.5%) wind turbines were the next biggest providers (26.8%). On one day in November, they produced a record of over 20GW for the first time – over 70% of the electricity generated that day – and on 30 December that figure rose to 20.918GW.
Zero-carbon sources of electricity produced over 50% of electricity in February (the windiest month), May, October, November and December. Their total share for the year was 48.5%, outperforming the 40% fossil fuel generation from gas and coal power stations. Coal is now down to 1.5% compared with 43% in 2012, while the highest wind share ever was 64% on 29 January.
The electricity demand fluctuated as usual according to the seasons. The lowest demand was 15GW on 12 June at 4am and the highest was 46GW on 15 December at 5pm.
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