Slowdown for turbines due to lack of wind
A LACK of wind in the UK this month has caused many of the country’s wind turbines to slow down.
Wind energy output across the UK is down 40% from the same time last year, according to a study at Imperial College London. This is despite the fact that more turbines have been built in the interim.
Dr Robert Gross looked at data for the Wales, England and Scotland, and found that wind turbines have generated around 2-3 gigawatts. During a windier period, generation can be as much as 9-10gw.
Last month, turbines produced less than 2% of Britain’s electricity – the lowest output in two years.
Pen y Cymoedd, between Neath and Aberdare, is the largest onshore wind farm in Wales. Run by Vattenfall, the 76 turbines generate enough energy to power nearly 200,000 homes every year.
Site manager, Pat Delaney, said: “The first quarter of this year saw record high wind speeds on site which has been followed by a less windy second quarter, but certainly not a wind drought. With wind, solar and battery technology all part of our low-carbon energy project portfolio in the UK, the fluctuations we’ve seen are expected and planned for as we develop the future energy mix needed for a climate smarter future.”
A National Grid spokesman said: “Between June 4 and July 15, wind generation was around 30% lower compared to the same period last year. Electricity demand is low and we’re comfortable with the level of spare generation we have available.”
MORE sunshine is on the way, just as many schools in Wales broke up for the summer holidays yesterday.
The patchy rain of yesterday is set to make way for warmer weather today, with a maximum temperature of 23°C.
One or two showers are possible over southern hills later.
Tomorrow will be cloudier over Snowdonia, though still sunny and warm further south.
Sunshine is expected in Port Talbot and parts of Swansea in the afternoon, while Pembrokeshire will see patchy clouds and sunny intervals.
Monday will be warm but with showers likely at times, however most of the country will remain cloudy.
Tuesday is likely to be cloudier, with light showers likely through the middle of the country.
Rainy weather arrived yesterday as “frantic Friday” got under way.
Millions of journeys are expected to be taken over the weekend, with the RAC estimating 3.2m leisure journeys by car today, followed by 2.2m tomorrow as families take to the road to head on holiday.
It says the worst times to travel include 11.30am to 1pm today and noon to 1pm tomorrow.
With the warm weather continuing, Welsh Water is urging customers to save water. The Welsh utilities company is currently spending an extra £1.5m a week to safeguard water supply during the heatwave.
Last month was officially the warmest on record for Wales, with only 24% of the average rainfall for the month.
Britain baked for 23 days in a row in temperatures over 27°C from June 24 to July 16, peaking at 33°C on June 28 at Porthmadog.
And with soaring temperatures set to continue throughout the rest of July and August, Welsh Water is asking people to think about the amount of water they use.
To combat the dry spell, the company is currently deploying 40 tankers around the network as well as installing temporary pipelines to meet rising demand.
Upland reservoirs are also being used to increase river levels and protect local wildlife.
In total, more than a billion litres of water have been pumped into the area over the past 15 days – 25% more than the usual amount put in the system.
To reduce waste, 450 Welsh Water staff members are working seven days a week to try to find 140 leaks a day, compared to a daily average of 80.
Customers with a leak in their water pipes are being asked to report the issue for it to be fixed free of charge.
Meanwhile, people are being asked to take a break from watering the garden and fill washing machines and dishwashers before starting a wash.
Ian Christie, managing director of water services, said: “The level of water consumption has reached record levels in recent weeks.
“This is not surprising after the record temperatures in June and the continued lack of any substantial rainfall in July.
“These challenging weather conditions are set to continue, and behind the scenes, we’re working day and night to maintain supplies by finding and fixing leaks, using our integrated pipe network to move water around and also using tankers to feed into our network directly.
“We’d like to thank customers for working with us and urge them to continue reporting any leaks and follow the advice we have issued on how to use water efficiently so that we can help protect water supplies and also play our part in safeguarding the local environment.”