Move FM Global News

LONDON, England: As warm temperatures sweep across the country, the National Grid in Britain has requested a power generating plant at its Ratcliffe coal-fired power plant be placed on standby in case of a surge in electricity demand this week.

As part of its efforts to reduce fossil fuel emissions and achieve its net-zero target by 2050, Britain aims to shut down its coal-fired power plants by October 2024.

Although the National Grid has contracted with some coal plants to be available for balancing the country’s electricity supply, they are rarely used and primarily activated during colder winter months.

Over the weekend, temperatures in parts of Britain exceeded 30 degrees Celsius, prompting the country’s Met Office to issue a Heat Health Alert, advising older individuals and those with health conditions to take precautions.

This week, gas-fired power plants accounted for approximately 41 percent of the country’s electricity generation, while wind power contributed only 7 percent, lower than usual.

Furthermore, a technical fault has caused a subsea power cable connecting Britain and Norway to operate at half of its capacity. However, Norwegian grid operator Statnett anticipates the full capacity of 1.4 gigawatts (GW) to be restored this week.