UK wind power hits record level

GREAT BRITAIN - Britain's wind farms hit record power output levels August 30 and at peak period was generating the same amount of electricity as almost four nuclear power stations, according to energy network operator National Grid.

National Grid said 1,860 megawatts was being generated briefly Aug. 30 at 1930 GMT, mostly from Scotland, which accounted for 4.7 percent of total generation. A single nuclear power station in Britain generates around 500 megawatts.

"And over the 24 hours on Monday... wind generated 5 percent of all electricity," National Grid said.

"National Grid also believes that if embedded wind generation is taken into account, about 10 percent of Britain's power was generated by windÂ…."

National Grid data showed gas-fired power stations accounts for around half of all electricity generation currently, with coal around a 32 percent, nuclear around 15 percent and wind dropping from the evening highs to 2.2 percent.

Electricity from wind generation is also forecast to fall further, to less than half of Aug. 30 peaks at 800 megawatts on the following evening and less than a quarter at under 300 megawatts on the evening of September 1.

Britain's wind power generation is still below other European countries such as Spain, which supplied half its domestic demand during a windy New Year period in January.