Biomass has delivered record levels of electricity to the UK grid, underscoring its growing role in providing dispatchable power as weather-driven volatility shapes supply and demand.
New analysis from Drax Electric Insights shows biomass supplied 17% of UK electricity during a dark, still September morning when demand spiked.
The report, produced by Imperial College London academics and commissioned by Drax, finds that weather now has a stronger influence than ever on power prices.
It warns that the gap between electricity demand and supply from wind and solar could reach 75 GW during still winter days by 2035.
Demand is rising quickly as electric vehicles, heat pumps and data centres expand. July also saw biomass achieve its largest monthly share of UK power and set a new daily output record.
“Obsessing about the weather has long been a national pastime for Brits,” says Dr Iain Staffell, lead author of Electric Insights at Imperial College London. He notes that “storms, heatwaves, snow, and periods of no wind all have big impacts on both how we get our electricity and how much we pay for it.”
He adds that demand is growing at its fastest rate in a decade and that dispatchable power sources will be essential to bridge supply gaps when wind and solar output is low.
Britain’s biomass sector includes generators of varying sizes and feedstocks ranging from waste wood and compressed pellets to agricultural crops and biogas. The largest facility is Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire, which recently secured a government agreement extending generation support to March 2031.
“Our four generating units can supply electricity whatever the weather is like,” says Lee Dawes, Drax’s Chief Operations Officer. He highlights the plant’s ability to store large volumes of biomass and provide system support services such as voltage management and grid inertia.
Dawes adds that the new government contract will strengthen UK energy security while delivering a net saving for consumers.
Biomass sets new power generation records appeared first on Energy Live News.