Low Risk of Wide-Area Power Disruption in UK This Winter

November 7, 2007

Speaking to the Energy Networks Association yesterday evening (Nov 1st), the UK government’s energy minister Malcolm Wicks said that winter gas and electricity supplies are secure and that there is only a minimal risk of seeing wide-area power disruptions in UK.

Mr. Wicks said: "We do not face the prospect of power shortages this winter. National Grid indicates that we are going into the winter with a healthy 'safety net' of some 20 percent more than expected peak electricity demand.

"Power stations will from time to time come out of operation, but this is precisely why we have a safety margin, and why National Grid has a routine mechanism for signaling to energy companies to bring on stream additional generation to maintain it. It's a testament to the strength, not the weakness, of our electricity system that the market had no trouble at all in responding to National Grid's request for more power.

"The situation for gas supply is also broadly positive. There is more gas being imported this year via the Langeled pipeline from the Norwegian Ormen Lange field and the Tampen link delivering gas from the Anglo-Norwegian Statfjord field; and there's new gas storage capacity at Aldbrough. Even without the new liquefied natural gas import terminal at Milford Haven, these provide us with the capacity to offset the continuing decline in gas production from the North Sea.”

— Continuity Central

Contingency Planning