Essay by Eric Worrall

The alert was withdrawn after 2 hours. An energy spokesman insists there is no cause for alarm.

Blackout prevention system mobilised as Britain battles low winds

First capacity warning in two years later withdrawn

Matt Oliver Industry Editor
14 October 2024 3:03pm BST

A backstop system designed to prevent blackouts was mobilised for the first time in two years as Britain’s power grid battles low winds and nuclear outages.

The surprise notice for the capacity market, which issues a warning to Britain’s electricity generators, was issued by the National Energy System Operator (Neso) just after midday on Monday.

It told generators to be ready for when demand spikes at 4:30pm, amid fears the amount of spare power capacity had grown unacceptably small compared to demand.

However, the notice was withdrawn just after 2pm.

A spokesman for the Neso insisted it was “confident that electricity margins are sufficient for this evening” and stressed the triggering of the original notice was automatic.

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But Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, warned that the notices risked becoming more commonplace as Britain’s ageing nuclear power stations were switched off this decade.

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Read more: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/10/14/blackout-prevention-plan-activated-britain/

Thankfully your genius Minister for Net Zero Energy Security has a plan to keep British energy supplies secure.

Anger at UK’s ‘bonkers’ plan to reach net zero by importing fuel from North Korea

Government criticised over list of potential countries for sourcing biomass, which also includes Afghanistan

Isabella Kaminski
Wed 9 Oct 2024 20.37 AEDT

A plan by the British government to burn biomass imported from countries including North Korea and Afghanistan has been described as “bonkers”, with critics saying it undermines the credibility of the UK’s climate strategy.

A bioenergy resource model, published in late summer, calculates that only a big expansion in the import of energy crops and wood from a surprising list of nations would satisfy the UK’s plan to meet net zero.

In a strategy document published last year and since seemingly adopted by the new Labour government, the Sunak government said it wanted biomass to play a “significant role” in decarbonising all sectors of the economy in the years leading up to 2050. Previous administrations have provided more than £20bn to businesses using it in the power and heat sectors over the past two decades.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/09/anger-uk-plan-net-zero-import-biomass-fuel-north-korea

Of course, the North Korean firewood will only be needed to keep the lights on if the flywheels run out of spin.

My suggestion, if even The Guardian is calling your Net Zero plan “bonkers”, it might be time for a rethink. Or possibly a new energy minister.