UK Wind Capacity to Grow by 1.3GW This Winter

A total of 1300MW of new wind capacity could come online this winter in the UK, according to Cornwall Insight's renewables pipeline tracker report.

Cornwall Insight's tracker report shows this 5% rise could result in 25.4GW of installed capacity by March 2021.

Cornwall Insight analyst Lucy Dolton said: “New capacity anticipated this winter is almost wholly attributed to the Contracts for Difference scheme.

“Additionally, according to Cornwall Insight's Renewables Pipeline Tracker report, a further 400MW could also come online this winter.

“While there are no guarantees that these sites will commission this winter with limited announcements on confirmed routes to market, it demonstrates additional capacity in the ‘queue’ of wind sites.”

Dolton said lack of inertia arising from a larger proportion of asynchronous technologies, including wind, on the system is a resulting issue from adding more wind.

Lower levels of inertia become problematic due to the increased rate of change of frequency (RoCoF), meaning system frequency can deviate more rapidly.

As a result, National Grid ESO requires more actions from generators to balance the system, leading to higher balancing costs and BSUoS charges.

Dolton added: “Another variable affected by the greater wind capacity available on the system is wholesale power prices.

“A larger share of intermittent generation unsurprisingly brings about increased price volatility, demonstrated by periods of high wind output last winter, resulting in wholesale power prices for day-ahead delivery falling negative for the first time.

“With new capacity coming online this winter and the potential for further impacts on demand due to COVID-19, wind generation could once again create challenges in the market."