Great Britain’s energy system operator has issued a fresh warning over power supplies as the UK enters its third heatwave of the year. The National Energy System Operator (Neso) issued a notice overnight asking for extra electricity from generators to meet increased demand from households using fans and air conditioners.
The warning comes just weeks after Neso made a similar plea during last month’s heatwave, when the UK recorded a provisional high of 37.7C at Lingwood in Norfolk on 27 June, smashing the previous June record of 35.6C set in 1976. Parts of southern England are forecast to reach 34C on Thursday, with the hot weather expected to last more than ten days.
In a statement, Neso said it was “giving participants the opportunity to make any additional generation or flexibility available” due to “tight electricity margins” during Thursday evening’s peak period, caused by “extreme temperatures across Europe” reducing generation availability. However, it stressed that the notice was a routine balancing tool and that there was “no risk to customer electricity supplies”.
Across the Channel, French state-owned utility EDF warned that the heatwave was straining its nuclear reactors, which regularly export power to the UK and Germany. Output could be curbed at up to five plants in the coming days as hot weather affects river water used for cooling, starting with reduced production at two reactors this week. Western Europe is experiencing its third heatwave in six weeks, sparking wildfires in France and Spain.
