Will Britain suffer a power outage? Freezing weather brought UK 'within a whisker' of blackout


                                                                           Watchmore

Britain narrowly avoided a potential power outage on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, during an extremely cold period. The National Energy System Operator (NESO) came perilously close to blackouts with electricity spare capacity falling to just 580 megawatts.

Key Risks
  • Plunging temperatures increased electricity demand
  • Low wind power generation (only 2.5 GW during evening peak)
  • Zero solar power generation
  • Significant interconnector outages
Critical Moments

  • Spare electricity capacity dropped to critically low levels
  • Grid operators used almost every available megawatt
  • Cost of maintaining grid stability exceeded £21 million
  • One additional power station failure could have triggered widespread blackouts
Expert Assessment
Energy consultant Kathryn Porter warned this was "a real wake-up call about the dangers of relying on weather-based generation."Current Status
While blackouts were narrowly avoided, NESO emphasized that power supplies were not at imminent risk. However, the incident highlights potential vulnerabilities in Britain's energy infrastructure during extreme weather conditions.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Recall issued for batches of eggs from 6 Canadian Brands

Image
                                                              watchmore The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued a recall for eggs from six Canadian brands due to potential salmonella contamination The affected brands include Golden Valley, Compliments, Foremost, IGA, No Name, and Western Family Key Details of the Recall: Distributed in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and possibly other provinces 3 7 Affects eggs with best before dates of February 16, February 22, and March 1, 2025 7 Triggered by routine test results 7 Risks and Symptoms: Salmonella can cause serious health issues, especially for vulnerable populations. Symptoms include: Fever Headache Vomiting Nausea Abdominal cramps Diarrhea Consumer Advice: Do not consume, serve, or sell the recalled eggs Check lot numbers on the CFIA website Discard or return aff...
Read more

White House fires National Security Agency chief

Image
Watch more The White House has fired General Timothy Haugh, the director of the National Security Agency (NSA), and his deputy, Wendy Noble. Haugh also led U.S. Cyber Command, overseeing both offensive and defensive cyber operations. The reasons for their dismissal are unclear, but it follows a series of high-profile firings by the Trump administration,  including National Security Council staff members. Lt. Gen. William Hartman will serve as the acting NSA director, while Sheila Thomas becomes the acting deputy director .   Top Democrats have criticized the move, citing concerns about national security and the lack of explanation .
Read more

Premium Bonds prize checker: When is February’s draw and how can I check if I’ve won?

Image
                                                                  Watchmore NS&I has announced the February 2025 Premium Bonds draw, with two £1 million jackpot winners from Yorkshire (Kirklees and Sheffield). Here's how to check if you've won: How to Check Prizes : Online: Use NS&I website prize checker Mobile App: Download NS&I app (iOS/Android) Phone: Call 08085 007 007 (if registered for online banking) By Mail: Write to NS&I at Sunderland SR43 2SB Draw Details : Total prizes: 5.9 million Total prize value: £430,052,425 Jackpot winners: Bond 150EN423722 (Kirklees, purchased January 2009) Bond 513EP525664 (Sheffield, purchased September 2022) Winning Odds : 22,000 to 1 for each £1 bond Prize fund rate: 4% Minimum investment: £25 Maximum investment: £50,000 Prizes will be available to check from Tuesday, F...
Read more