Power from fossil fuels on Britains electricity grid has fallen to an all-time low, data from Drax Electric Insights shows, delivering the UKs greenest Christmas.
Just before midnight yesterday (Wednesday), fossil fuels generated 1.7 GW of electricity just 6% of the power on Britains electricity grid at the time.
Instead of coal and gas supplying most of the countrys electricity like in years gone by, renewable sources such as biomass, wind and hydro were keeping Britains lights on.
Renewables generated 24.19 GW 65% of the countrys entire electricity needs while fossil fuels were at a new record low.
Power from renewables at 23:45, 29 December 2021:
Biomass 2.34 GW (8.27%)
Hydro 0.3 GW (1.05%)
Solar 0 GW (0%)
Wind 15.62 GW (55.32%)
The new record is a further example of the renewables revolution that has transformed Britains power grid in recent years. A decade ago, at the same time on 30 December 2011, fossil fuels generated 18.78 GW, totalling 58.79% of the countrys power needs.
The carbon intensity of the power system fell to just 125g/KWh during the seven days from Christmas Eve almost 75% lower than a decade earlier when in 2012 the carbon intensity over the same period was 464g/KWh.
A report by Drax Electric Insights last year found that the UK had decarbonised its power grid over the previous decade faster than any other major economy.
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