The Seagreen wind farm, Scotland’s biggest offshore wind farm, had to waste three quarters of its electricity produced last year and switch off its turbines due to a lack of grid capacity to use the energy.

Reported in The Telegraph, the inability to utilise the energy produced by its 114 turbines led to 77 per cent of Seagreen’s total output being wasted.

Constraint payments, which arise when wind power in Scotland exceeds local demand but cannot be exported to England due to insufficient grid infrastructure, are almost certain to be made which could total hundreds of millions of pounds.

NESO, ultimately in charge of the grid, has launched projects to alleviate pressure in the short term, but is also engaged in the greater, longer-term, solution of expansion of grid capacity.

Whilst an increase in capacity is the clear and ultimate aim, it leaves a difficult period of transition where the bill payers pick up a tab for a system where some parts are moving faster than others.

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