The South West’s electricity grid was 100% emission-free at times over the weekend thanks to nuclear power from Hinkley Point B and strong solar output.

A new report by the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) suggests the carbon intensity of electricity dropped to zero gCO2/kWh on Sunday and an average of 22 gCO2/kWh over both days, the lowest figure in at least fifteen months.

National Grid ESO data shows during the four days between Thursday 22nd and Sunday 25th, the region had the cleanest power in Britain.

Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the NIA, said: “This performance shows that nuclear power, in partnership with renewables, is essential to reaching net zero.

“To do that, we need to build new nuclear power stations urgently alongside renewable capacity. Hinkley Point C should represent just the beginning of a programme of nuclear construction to realise the net zero vision set out in the Energy White Paper and ten point plan.

“Nuclear investment delivers major emission reductions and secures tens of thousands of
skilled, high-quality jobs across the supply chain: that is what we need to kickstart a green
recovery and our transition to a green economy.”