Biomass helps UK break renewables record

At 1pm on 7 June 2017, renewable energy set a new record for energy generation in the UK. Wind, solar, biomass and hydro combined to generate an estimated 18.7 gigawatts, equivalent to roughly 50.7% of the country’s energy demands, enough to supply about 13.5 million homes with electricity.

The achievement was announced by the National Grid’s control room on Twitter.

According to the Independent, the 7 June also saw wind, solar and nuclear generate more electricity than gas and coal combined for the first time ever in the UK.

The renewable energy triumph proved somewhat short lived, however. The Independent reported that at 8am on 8 June, gas was providing 43% of the UK’s electricity, with nuclear at over 24% and wind on just over 11%. Biomass made up 6% of the energy being generated, with the rest being a combination of imports (9%), solar (3%) and storage (1%).