A brand new report reveals that over 5.5TWh of unpolluted electrical energy was turned off throughout Nice Britain and Eire within the first half of 2025, costing shoppers £152m in curtailment funds. The quantity of electrical energy instructed to be switched off would have been sufficient to energy each home family in Scotland for the primary six months of the yr.
The report, Curtailed Renewables in GB and Eire, was produced by Montel Analytics, a market intelligence agency headquartered in Norway.
Key statistics from the report:
- Nice Britain curtailed 4.6TWh of renewable vitality in H1 2025, a 15% enhance within the quantity of energy switched off in comparison with H1 2024.
- £152m was paid to turbines in curtailment funds, a value borne by vitality invoice payers.
- Northern Scotland alone accounted for over 86% of GB’s curtailed quantity, curbing 4TWh of wind vitality at a value of over £116m. This may have been sufficient energy to fulfill the demand of each home family in Scotland for the primary six months of 2025.
- Eire curtailed 905GWh throughout the Irish Single Power Market (SEM), sufficient to energy all properties in County Dublin for six months No balancing funds had been made to renewable property in Eire because of market guidelines, though that is set to alter quickly.
The report, stated to be the primary of its sort in assessing the flip down of all renewables throughout GB and Eire, uncovers a rising disconnect between renewable technology and grid infrastructure capability, one thing which has the potential to lift prices on shopper payments for years to come back. That is primarily because of constraints and bottlenecks on the transmission community, which make it arduous for energy generated in sure areas (most notably North Scotland) to be transferred to areas the place energy is required for consumption.
Explaining the findings, report creator and Senior Power Market Analyst at Montel Analytics, Fintan Devenney stated: “The evaluation reveals that solely 63% of the wind energy which may have been generated in GB truly made it to the grid. The price of turning down that different 37% is handed on to vitality payments, which means shoppers are those left counting the prices.
Making certain that renewables may be deployed successfully is due to this fact key as authorities seems to be to steadiness decarbonisation objectives in opposition to shopper prices and safety of provide. Until policymakers take note of the necessity to marry renewable energy with public techniques and infrastructure, then an outdated transmission community may proceed to drive up shopper payments as NESO is pressured to function a community probably unfit for the net-zero future.”
Yr-on-year comparisons present that the price of curtailment is definitely falling, regardless of the rising quantity of energy which is being requested to show off. The £152m paid to turbines to change off throughout H1 2025, is 7% lower than the equal determine for the primary six months of 2024.
Director at Montel Analytics, Phil Hewitt added: “The value paid per MWh of curtailment has gone down on common, so the general price of curtailment is decrease, regardless of the upper volumes of energy that had been required to show down.
“This is because of extra CfD [Contracts for Difference] offshore farms coming on-line, which supply cheaper bids to be turned down by the system operator (NESO) due to their subsidy contract construction. Over time, curtailment prices may grow to be cheaper as windfarms supported by the Renewables Obligation scheme fade away and CfD supported technology continues to construct out additional.”
The report additionally outlines the rising impression of photo voltaic technology on the subject of curtailment, with Eire seeing photo voltaic curtailment charges for June 2025 (round 24GWh) virtually seven occasions increased than the equal determine for June 2024 (round 3.5GWh).
Assessing the potential impacts of additional curtailment as new renewables proceed to connect with the grid, Fintan Devenney added: “With NESOs Future Power Situations envisioning the potential for round 15TWh of photo voltaic curtailment being required by 2050, this evaluation brings the problem of renewable integration into sharp focus.
“Now could be the time for presidency to come back along with business and construct the holistic view of coverage which can allow the optimum siting of technology, ample funding in grid infrastructure and the right funding alerts to assist alleviate grid constraints. The Strategic Spatial Power Plan (SSEP) and the broader reformed nationwide market workstream shall be key to attaining these goals.”
