GB sets new record for wind generation in Q1
This was driven in part by a series of winter storms (Goretti, Ingrid and Chandra) which brought prolonged periods of high wind speeds across Britain. As a result, wind output remained elevated for extended periods, contributing significantly to system supply and enabling increased exports to neighbouring markets.
Wind output would have been even higher had it not been necessary to curtail output during periods of high wind. 3.6 TWh of potential wind output was effectively turned off via balancing mechanism bids accepted by the system operator, meaning that wind generation could have been 11% higher had there been sufficient capacity on the transmission network to transmit the full potential output.
Director at Montel EnAppSys, Phil Hewitt said: “Despite the good news of higher wind output, curtailment remained a key feature of the system, reflecting transmission constraints between northern generation and southern demand centres.
“While renewable deployment must continue in order to meet the government’s 2030 clean power targets, the continual curtailment of wind is already pushing the narrative beyond the need for more renewables, focusing more on the effective siting of generation and need for greater grid investment and planning. It is hoped that NESO’s Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) due to be published this summer should provide some direction in this regard, showing the way forwards for a more efficient energy transition.”
Overall renewable generation reached 40.3 TWh in Q1 2026, compared to 33.7 TWh in Q1 2025, an increase of 20%. Growth was driven primarily by increased wind output, with additional contributions from other renewable sources accounting for 52% of total generation in GB. Higher renewable penetration contributed to lower price periods during high output conditions, while also increasing the need for flexibility during periods of excess generation.
Gas continues to support renewable records
Greater output from wind also displaced other forms of power generation in Q1, with gas generation falling 16% compared to Q1 2025. However, CCGT generation still accounted for 29% of GB power generation over the period, retaining its position as the domestic balancing option of choice.
Power imports via interconnectors also fell compared to the same period last year, with net imports totalling 6.1TWh, compared to 7.8TWh in Q1 2025, whilst power from nuclear generation also fell 7% for the period year-on-year.
