Britain’s electricity grid manager has appealed to electricity suppliers to increase production this evening to avoid the risk of power outages.
The National Energy System Manager (NESO) issued an alert “to encourage market actions aimed at increasing system margins”.
It is the first precautionary measure of its kind for winter to date and has been adopted at a time when much of the UK is shivering in sub-zero temperatures.
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NESO is concerned about the lack of available capacity on the network from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. due to “system constraints”.
The body, which is under public control after being part of National Grid until last fall, said in an update that it was seeking 1,200 megawatts (MW) of power as part of what the This is called the system margin notice.
Such advisories call for a greater safety cushion between electricity demand and available supply.
NESO was keen to emphasize that this does not signal that power outages are imminent or that there is not enough generation to meet current demand.
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The system is under strain due to a lack of wind and extremely cold temperatures, which are fueling higher demand for electricity and gas.
Low temperatures of minus 16C, the coldest of the winter so far, are forecast in parts of the UK on Thursday.
A yellow warning for snow and ice was issued for northern Scotland and Northern Ireland from midday Wednesday until midnight Thursday.
Subzero temperatures are expected across the country for the foreseeable future.
This is the first winter the UK has experienced in living memory without coal-fired electricity being part of the national electricity generation mix.
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The number of these plants in reserve has been gradually reduced as part of efforts to reduce the country’s carbon footprint.
Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station closed in September.
The UK has reciprocal agreements with neighboring countries to obtain electricity via so-called interconnections if and when it is needed to help keep the lights on.
National Grid data showed that more than 50% of the UK’s electricity was generated from natural gas.
Renewable energy accounted for just 16% while France and Norway helped provide 10% of production, with nuclear and biomass accounting for the bulk of the balance.