Transmission Constraints Result in Wasted Green Energy

A record amount of wind power generation was turned down, new report suggests

In the week when Britain saw the “highest-ever” level of potential wind generation, there was a record of wasted energy, costing millions.

A new report by LCP Delta suggests in the week commencing 3rd October, the grid saw the highest ever available wind generation, peaking at 17.6GW of potential wind energy generated in the evening of the 5th October.

However, constraints on the transmission network meant only 14.1GW of this was able to be used with the rest being turned down.

The authors of the report note that the energy system experienced the second-highest ever wind curtailment in a single week, peaking at 4.5GW of turn-down actions on the 6th October.

It is estimated that this combined wasted energy could have powered more than five million households for a week.

Analysts say that as a result of the curtailment on wind and the need to fire up gas, coal and biomass power plants, the energy system had to pay £27 million across the week, a cost that is ultimately put onto customer energy bills.

Chris Matson, Partner at LCP Delta, commented: “The recent curtailment of wind is evidence of the paradox that the GB energy system faces.

“Growing generation capacity of cheap renewable energy to record-breaking levels but much of it in locations where supply regularly outstrips demand and a lack of transmission capacity to deliver this energy to where there is demand.

“The UK faces a bleak winter ahead with a cost of energy crisis and growing fears of blackouts. Cheap, green energy being switched off for more expensive generation that ultimately results in higher bills for customers is a bitter pill for many to swallow.”