- Great Britain has issued four summer Electricity Margin Notices for the first time ever
- AMPS has launched a UK Grid Resilience Tracker in response to the unprecedented warnings
- AMPS says the events underscore why we must build grid resilience as Britain becomes increasingly reliant on renewable power
- The tracker will examine what flexible capacity is being relied upon to keep the system secure
Four summer Electricity Margin Notices issued for the first time
For the first time ever, Great Britain’s electricity system has experienced summer Electricity Margin Notices (EMNs), issuing four warnings this summer alone.
EMNs are issued by the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to notify the market of any additional generation required due to an anticipated shortfall within a specified period. In the past, these have been used only during winter demand peaks.
The summer timing shows the challenges facing our grid as we move to net-zero, with recent higher temperatures have clashed with intermittent renewable power generation. The first summer EMN was issued on 23 June for the evening of 24 June, during a period of extreme heat and low wind, while gas generation availability was lower than expected. Further notices followed for 26 June, 9 July and 12 August.
AMPS launches tracker as renewables reliance raises grid resilience risks
In response to the summer EMNs, the Association of Manufacturers and suppliers of Power systems (AMPS) has developed a UK Grid Resilience Tracker to monitor occasions when Great Britain’s electricity system comes under genuine supply, capacity or resilience pressure.
Neil Smith, Director General of AMPS, said:
“One summer Electricity Margin Notice is completely unprecedented, so with four in the space of seven weeks we’re really entering new territory. While these aren’t blackout warnings, they do raise important questions about how much flexible capacity the system needs when margins tighten.
“We’ve launched this tracker because we want to develop a much clearer understanding of how much additional capacity is being called upon when electricity margins tighten, helping to keep supplies secure.
“Our power systems are changing, so our resilience must change accordingly. This involves figuring out the role technologies play when the system is under stress, not just looking at what is listed on paper.
“Our members are directly involved in providing the power systems and technical expertise that underpin grid resilience, so we want this tracker to give them a clearer picture of when the grid is under pressure and what capacity is actually being relied upon.”
Tracking the flexible capacity keeping the grid secure
AMPS’ grid resilience tracker monitors significant pressure on the electricity system, including EMNs, generation and reserve shortfalls, stability issues and interconnector constraints. It also looks at the amount of flexible capacity used when the system is under pressure, keeping a record of the contribution made by dispatchable generation, battery storage, interconnectors, reserve capacity and demand flexibility.
It will also monitor the replacement of standby generation at substations and other vital infrastructure with decarbonised alternatives to look into whether new technologies offer the same level of capacity, operating duration, starting reliability and resilience.The AMPS UK Grid Resilience Tracker will be regularly updated as new system events emerge. It is available exclusively to AMPS members.
More from AMPS
