Report shows reduced carbon intensity of UK grid

In the U.K., the latest Electric Insights report, produced by researchers at Imperial College London, in collaboration with Drax, found that renewables accounted for 25 percent of Britain’s electricity during the second quarter. All low-carbon sources together produced 55 percent of Britain’s electricity over the same period.

The report shows the carbon intensity of grid electricity is now the lowest ever, falling below 200 grams per kilowatt hour (kWh) over the quarter, dipping below 100 grams per kWh on four days during the three-month period.

Wind, solar, biomass and hydro peaked at a 51.5 percent share of demand during the afternoon of June 7, with a combined output of 19.1 GW. At the same time, the report said the output from all low-carbon sources hit a new record of 28.6 GW, meeting 89 percent of demand.

The report indicates that biomass accounted for 3.5 TWh of electricity supplied in Britain during the second quarter, or about 5.2 percent of the electricity mix. Approximately 68.1 TWh was supplied from all sources during the period. The report also shows Britain had 2.2 GW of installed biomass capacity during the quarter, which was utilized at approximately 75 percent.