The UK electricity grid operator has instructed two emergency-use coal generators to stand down after freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall in parts of the country provided the first big test of the network’s resilience this winter.
As the icy weather was accompanied by low wind speeds, the National Grid Electricity System Operator had ordered two “contingency” coal-fired generators to be on standby in the early hours of Monday. This was the first time the ageing plants had been put on standby, since the government asked their owners to delay their permanent closure to help mitigate the energy crisis this winter.
But by Monday afternoon the operator said margins on the grid had “improved”, with forecasts for stronger wind generation and imports in response to record short-term power prices. That suggests the grid operator thinks the risk of blackouts is minimal despite the cold weather boosting demand.
The standby coal units are held in reserve under so-called winter contingency contracts that allows the grid operator to ask them to come online to relieve tight supplies.
The UK is historically a big importer of electricity from France, but maintenance issues with the fleet of French nuclear reactors, which are slowly returning to service, have hit supplies this year and instead power has flowed the other way. Lower French supplies have compounded an energy crisis triggered by Russia’s weaponisation of gas supplies to Europe in retaliation for western support for Ukraine.
The heavy overnight snow caused travel problems across large parts of southern and eastern England on Monday, as travellers faced disruption on the roads, train network and at airports.
Several railway lines faced cancellations and delays, with major disruption on services run by train operators including Southeastern, Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern.
Passengers using many rail services were urged not to try to travel unless “absolutely necessary”. On Tuesday, the start of four days of industrial action will cause widespread disruption to the network.
Airlines were forced to cancel more than 300 flights as a result of the weather over the weekend — about one in 10 of all scheduled flights, according to industry data provider Cirium.
London’s Gatwick airport was the worst hit, with 16 per cent of flights cancelled. On Monday, the airport said flights were operating, but warned of knock-on delays and possible further cancellations.
Schools across the country were forced to close on Monday, with local authorities warning that “hazardous” conditions made opening premises or travelling too dangerous. Many schools said they would set work online, or would remain open for vulnerable pupils.
As the weather deteriorated over the weekend, UK day-ahead electricity prices jumped on Sunday to help attract electricity imports through interconnectors from Europe. Prices eased somewhat on Monday as imports rose to meet about 15 per cent of electricity demand, with France, Norway and the Netherlands the biggest suppliers.
Domestic natural gas generation was providing about 58 per cent of UK power output compared with an average of 42 per cent over the past 12 months. Wind power was at less than 4 per cent compared with about 28 per cent on average, but wind speeds were forecast to pick up over the week.
Prices and demand are expected to peak at about 6pm in the UK, with people returning home from school and work while many offices, factories and shops are still open.
Additional reporting by Philip Georgiadis and Bethan Staton
Source: Financial Times
