Brits lose backup energy option for winter

Britain will not fall back on coal-fired power as a back-up option for generating electricity during the upcoming winter, the National Grid Electricity Systems Operator (ESO) said last week.

British coal plant operators Drax Group and EDF Energy, whose facilities were available last winter, have started to decommission their generators, according to a statement by the ESO.

The operators officially closed their coal plants at the end of March.

“Both operators have confirmed that they will not be able to make their coal units available for a further winter and have begun the decommissioning process,” a spokesperson for the National Grid said.

Uniper’s Ratcliffe coal unit is still likely to be available under a separate capacity market system over next winter, the ESO said. 

Five contingency units were fired up several times during the last cold season, when Western Europe was struggling with an unprecedented energy crisis following a drop in oil and gas shipments from Russia. Sanctions against Russian energy imports have led to record high inflation across the region and a cost-of-living crisis in numerous countries.

The UK warmed up the contingency units in March when a cold snap hindered wind generation.

As part of efforts to curb fossil fuel emissions and meet its 2050 net-zero target, the UK authorities are planning to close coal-fired power plants by October 2024.

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