UK wind farms outperform nuclear power plants over 24 hours

[bananas]

Source: Independent

On Tuesday more energy was created by UK wind farms than by nuclear power stations, reports the National Grid.

Wind farms made up 14.2 per cent of all power generated, while nuclear power contributed 13.2 per cent, although the energy network operator said this was due to a combination of unusually strong winds and intermittent service from the power plants.

The 24-hour triumph of wind follows a similar landmark on Saturday, when stormy weather allowed wind turbines to generate a record 6,372 megawatts – supplying a fifth of the UK’s energy needs, although at a time when demand was low.

These successes though are at due to the UK’s aging nuclear stations (eight of the fifteen are currently offline for maintenance and refuelling) and unusual weather.

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Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/uk-wind-farms-outperform-nuclear-power-plants-over-24-hours-9809829.html

[bananas]

1. Wind is becoming more reliable, nuclear more intermittant - and dangerous. nt

Let's hope they retire these dirty dangerous old rustbuckets before they have a meltdown.
And there's no good reason to build ones - they aren't needed at all.

[OnlinePoker]

3. The maximum the UK wind grid put out this year was about 17% of demand

They're still getting around 75% of their electricity from coal and gas. From end-April to August and then again in September, UK wind production was less than 10% of demand.

http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

[Helen Borg]

2. Righto. Because it was really windy! Duh.

[rickford66]

4. Winds may be more predictable than nuclear accidents.

[valerief]

5. Yeah, but what do you do with all the wind waste, huh?

Bravo, wind!

[Bosonic]

7. It's quite a windy locale