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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 major test of network resilience this winter.
With icy weather accompanied by low wind speeds, the National Grid Electricity System Operator ordered two “emergency” coal-fired generators on standby early Monday morning. This was the first time the aging plants were put on standby, as the government asked their owners to delay their permanent shutdown to help mitigate the energy crisis this winter.
But by Monday afternoon the operator said the power supply situation had “improved”, with imports forecast in response to strong wind generation and near-term electricity price records. It suggests that the grid operator thinks the risk of blackouts is low despite increasing demand in cold weather.
Standby coal units are held in reserve under so-called winter contingency contracts that the grid operator can ask to come online to relieve tight supplies.
The UK has historically been a major importer of electricity from France, but maintenance issues with the fleet of French nuclear reactors, which are slowly returning to service, have affected supplies this year and electricity has instead flowed the other way. Low French supplies have fueled an energy crisis due to Russia’s weaponization of gas supplies to Europe in retaliation for Western support for Ukraine.
Heavy overnight snow caused travel problems across large parts of southern and eastern England on Monday, as commuters faced disruption to roads, train networks and airports.
Some railway lines faced cancellations and delays, with major disruptions to services run by train operators including Southeastern, Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern.
Passengers using many rail services were urged not to attempt 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 over the weekend as a result of the weather — about one in 10 of all scheduled flights, according to industry data provider Sirium.
London’s Gatwick Airport was the worst affected, 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 “dangerous” conditions made starting or traveling too dangerous. Many schools said they would set the work online, or be open to weaker students.
As the weather worsened over the weekend, day-ahead electricity prices in the UK rose on Sunday to help attract electricity imports through the interconnector from Europe. Prices eased slightly on Monday as imports rose to meet about 15 percent of electricity demand, with France, Norway and the Netherlands the biggest suppliers.
Domestic natural gas production provided around 58 per cent of the UK’s power output, compared with an average of 42 per cent over the past 12 months. Wind power was less than 4 percent compared to an average of 28 percent, but wind speeds were forecast to increase during the week.
Prices and demand are expected to peak in the UK at around 6pm, when people return home from school and work while many offices, factories and shops are still open.
Additional reporting by Philip Georgiadis and Bethan Staton
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