In its last annual report as the Electricity System Operator (ESO), National Grid has revealed that 15 April this year saw the highest proportion of zero carbon generation on the transmission network at 92.2%.
The same date saw the lowest level of carbon dioxide on the network ever, at 19gCO2/kWh. The ESO’s Annual Report and Accounts 2023/24 is the last one it will publish before becoming the National Electricity System Operator (NESO) later this year.
With a carbon intensity of 88gCO2/kWh, April has been reported as the “greenest month in history”.
The highest day for wind generation (21.8GW) was 21 December 2023, while the highest day for solar generation, at 11GW, was on 20 April 2023. On average, zero carbon energy sources (which ESO counts as wind, nuclear, solar and hydro) contributed 50% to the generation mix, up on the previous period.
Chris O’Shea, CEO of Centrica, the French company that owns British Gas, as well as numerous renewables assets in the UK, expressed doubts about the efficacy of wind generation.
In a LinkedIn post, he wrote that despite the UK’s installed wind generation capacity being around 30GW, over the last week it saw less than 15% utilisation. He commented: “Whilst wind power is great, we run a real risk if we focus too much on new wind as we look to decarbonise the energy system of the future. A net zero future requires a range of technologies, and a good balance.”
Indeed, while the Labour government’s quick move to remove the de facto ban on onshore wind is good news for the industry, the party has been somewhat vague on its targets beyond solar and wind generation.
For example, energy storage is increasingly acknowledged as a key part of ensuring the UK grid can handle the load associated with electrification, but the sector is broadly overlooked by recent policy announcements.
According to the ESO, its goal is to make it possible to operate the system at 100% zero carbon by early 2025. Its Beyond 2030 report, published in March, outlined a blueprint for a decarbonised electricity system in Great Britain, including a £58 billion investment plan.
It also notes the importance of having the right markets in place to reduce electricity costs, encouraging maximum use of flexible assets and improving system operability. Ofgem has released several proposals to address flexibility and operability, including appointing a market facilitator to drive alignment between local and national flexibility markets.
ESO said it has continued to build its relationship with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) through the Review of Electricity Markets Arrangements (REMA) process.
