National Grid could pay EDF more than £50 million to reduce output from Britain’s biggest nuclear reactor to avert the risk of blackouts this summer 🕯🕯🕯
Another little scoop in today’s @thetimes... and another a little 🧵...
thetimes.co.uk/article/big-is…
Another little scoop in today’s @thetimes... and another a little 🧵...
thetimes.co.uk/article/big-is…
Low power demand in lockdown is making it trickier for National Grid to keep the lights on, risking the network being swamped with too much power.
As I reported on Saturday, it’s already seeking emergency rights to disconnect small wind and solar plants
As I reported on Saturday, it’s already seeking emergency rights to disconnect small wind and solar plants
National Grid is also negotiating another unprecedented measure to shore up the system ahead of the Bank Holiday, in case it’s v sunny which could mean record low demand ☀️☀️☀️
It’s in talks with EDF over a contract to halve power generation from the Sizewell B plant in Suffolk
It’s in talks with EDF over a contract to halve power generation from the Sizewell B plant in Suffolk
The contract hasn’t been finalised yet, but sources say it’s likely to be worth more than £50 million over at least three months. 💰💰💰
That’s money that will ultimately feed through to all of our energy bills.
That’s money that will ultimately feed through to all of our energy bills.
So what’s up with Sizewell?
Two things, essentially relating to it being fairly inflexible, and very big (the biggest single generation unit in Britain - producing enough to power 2 million homes).
What’s the problem with that? A bit techy, but here goes... 🤓🤓🤓
Two things, essentially relating to it being fairly inflexible, and very big (the biggest single generation unit in Britain - producing enough to power 2 million homes).
What’s the problem with that? A bit techy, but here goes... 🤓🤓🤓
1) National Grid needs some flexible power plants (e.g. gas or some wind) running that can adjust output at short notice in a way Sizewell can’t.
When demand is very low, it may be impossible to have these plants running as well as Sizewell without ending up with too much power.
When demand is very low, it may be impossible to have these plants running as well as Sizewell without ending up with too much power.
2) Sizewell is so big that if it fails when demand is low (so not many other plants are running) it would cause a huge imbalance in supply & demand.
This could cause a dangerous drop in frequency that could trigger other plants to fail - as we saw in the August blackouts 📉📉📉
This could cause a dangerous drop in frequency that could trigger other plants to fail - as we saw in the August blackouts 📉📉📉
So National Grid wants Sizewell turned down.
It can’t do that thru the usual balancing market it uses to pay other plants to power down daily (since nukes aren’t flexible, they ask impossibly huge £££ to do it that way).
So it’s instead negotiating this unprecedented contract.
It can’t do that thru the usual balancing market it uses to pay other plants to power down daily (since nukes aren’t flexible, they ask impossibly huge £££ to do it that way).
So it’s instead negotiating this unprecedented contract.
The contract is supposed to compensate EDF for money it could have made selling Sizewell’s power (if National Grid could have coped with Sizewell running full tilt without increasing risk of blackouts).
It will probably work out to less than £1 on a typical household energy bill
It will probably work out to less than £1 on a typical household energy bill
But as I explained on Sat, the issues we are seeing during the lockdown are a preview of issues we’re likely to see much more in years to come.
Not least if/when EDF’s new Hinkley Point C plant is built - since that has two even bigger reactors.
(/🧵)
Not least if/when EDF’s new Hinkley Point C plant is built - since that has two even bigger reactors.
(/🧵)
