Statistics from the National Energy System Operator (NESO) show that in November 42% of Great Britain’s electricity came from zero carbon sources, peaking at 84% on 24 November at 4am.
Wind generation accounted for 26.6% of Great Britain’s electricity over the month but the largest source of generation was gas, which provided 38.3% of the UK’s energy generation.
As part of its new role, NESO monitors gas usage for Great Britain, finding that in November distribution networks transported 64% of the nation’s gas to homes and businesses, with 22% of it used to generate electricity.
Demand for electricity peaked at 5pm on 20 November and 24TWh ran through the network.
The amount of electricity generated by wind in November was a 5% increase on October, while solar generation accounted for 2.1% less. The source of 73% of the gas used in the UK in November was UK and Norwegian gas fields, with 8% stored and 4% exported.
According to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), Q2 this year (April – June) was the third consecutive quarter to see renewables’ electricity share increase, having hit 51.1% in Q1 2024 and 50.4% in Q4 2023.
The latest Drax Electric Insights report, which covers the third quarter of 2024, revealed that electricity generation from fossil fuels fell below 5GW for the first time in August of this year, with the carbon intensity of the UK’s electricity network also hitting a new record low of 78g/kWh as a result.
Irish electricity statistics
For Ireland, data from transmission system operator EirGrid shows that renewable sources provided a third of total electricity demand in November. The majority of this was from wind, which accounted for just under 29% of all electricity used in Ireland.
This is down from October, when renewables provided 40.4% of Ireland’s electricity, due to higher than usual amounts of solar generation.
Total generation from wind energy amounted to 869GWh over the month. Meanwhile, gas generation accounted for just over half of all electricity used in November, while 11% was imported via interconnection, 3% came from coal, and the remaining 1% from other sources.
Currently, Ireland’s electricity grid can accommodate up to 75% of electricity being from renewable sources at any one time. This is known as the system non-synchronous penetration (SNSP) limit. EirGrid is aiming to further increase the SNSP limit, in line with meeting government targets of 80% of all electricity coming from renewables.
Charlie McGee, System Operational Manager at EirGrid, said: “As we enter the winter months our National Control Centre plays a critical role in balancing supply and demand, as seen with the peaks recorded in November.
“This follows on from EirGrid’s annual Winter Outlook report forecasting the increase in demand to be expected at this time of year, which will be met by a mix of generation sources including renewables.”
