Wind stock

A new report warns the UK is not ready for a large growth in wind energy without better technology for storing power and smart metering.

The report from global energy analyst Pöyry Energy Consulting is backed by major power-industry players including Centrica and National Grid.

The Pöyry report pointed out that the variation between low and high wind in the UK will strain other parts of the future low-carbon electricity infrastructure.

James Cox, the project manager on the study, said nuclear power plants and carbon capture and storage equipped coal-fired power plants run most efficiently when they run continuously.

This is incompatible with wind energy’s peaks and drops.

‘We could have one day all the thermal plant running at full tilt because there’s no wind,’ he said.