June 2020 electricity report
3 Jul 2020 - 1 minute read
At around 11pm on June 16 one of Great Britain’s three remaining coal-fired generators ran a routine test following maintenance. On this occasion, the test marked the end of an unprecedented run of coal-free electricity generation in this country.
That record stands at 67 days, 22 hours and 55 minutes – almost a fifth of the year so far – and naturally becomes our next target to surpass over summer (we’re already a fortnight into our next run).
Despite June producing the hottest day of the year so far, solar generation throughout the month fell a little shy of the all-time record average set during May’s relentless sunshine. Solar nevertheless contributed to the highest share of zero carbon sources we saw, which was an impressive 83.77% on the afternoon of June 21. Carbon intensity was again low across the month, while the share of wind remains similar to levels we’ve seen throughout spring. Meanwhile in our national control room, despite the ongoing challenges presented by low demand, our engineers are making sure they continue to keep Great Britain’s electricity supply safe and secure.