As all eyes once again turned to football, the grid in the UK braced itself for the impact of England taking to the pitch for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The effect of the World Cup on the energy system has been significant over the years, and 2022 has been no different. As millions sit down to watch the matches at the same time, it synchronises actions such as the opening of fridges, turning on the lights and boiling a kettle up and down the country, and so surging power demand can be seen at intervals throughout the game.
With this, it is no surprise that the largest TV energy pick-up ever recorded was England’s first, and to this day only, World Cup success in the 4-2 triumph over West Germany in 1966. The pick-up from this fixture saw a peak of 2.8GW and almost 60 years later, no other TV broadcast has topped this record.
The Qatar 2022 World Cup had the potential. The World Cup was the first to be held when the Northern Hemisphere is exposed to the winter months and as such the UK would have to contend with additional electrical demand and heating.
As dreams of football coming home grew over recent weeks, National Grid ESO therefore kept a close eye on the predicted impact on demand caused by the England and Wales group fixtures in November.
The highest pick-up was expected to be at the half time intervals, ranging from 150MW, when Wales played Iran, up to the all-UK fixture between England and Wales, which was predicted to cause a pick-up of 550MW.
The pick-up for the all-British tie reached 900MW, significantly higher than the expected 550MW at half-time. With demand soaring as the rivals clashed, showcasing the prominent impact the intervals in football have the overall energy system.
England vs Iran saw an increase at half-time of around 819MW according to the National Grid ESO’s Operational Transparency Forum. This had the added weight of being the first fixture for England at the tournament.
While the pick-ups from large sporting events, along with other major moments on TV, are a well-known phenomenon, the World Cup has happened during a time of particular concern for the British energy system. The wholesale gas crisis has led to record high energy prices and concern over system stability, with National Grid ESO even modelling the potential for blackouts.
The operator has expanded its toolbox to help keep the lights on this winter, including signing contracts with contingency coal units and introducing the Demand Flexibility Service. These can support operations if its everyday actions cannot meet the demands of the grid.
For energy pick-ups, National Grid ESO can generally rely on these everyday options, for example calling on pumped hydro plants to balance the demand created by 1,120,000 kettles, as the pick-up during the England v West Germany World Cup Semi-Final match in 1990 equated to, according to Drax.
Back to 2022, and following England’s success in the Group Stages, which saw victories over Iran, Wales and a 0-0 draw against the US, the next anticipated fixture saw England face Senegal in knockout stages. The fixture saw a 3-0 victory for England over their African counterparts and again prominent energy pickups as a result.
At half-time, national energy demand jumped around 800MW. Although this is not as much as the Wales and Iran fixtures, this is still a distinct increase in demand at the half-time interval. The final whistle for the game saw an increase of 250MW.
With this victory against Senegal, all eyes turned towards a Quarter-Final match against the 2018 reigning champions France. The game resulted in England being knocked out having lost 2-1 to its neighbouring country.
The pickup for this game soared higher than any of the previous recorded statistics at the 2022 tournament. According to the National Grid ESO, the energy pick-up from the half time interval stood at 914MW. While this falls short of the highs of the 1966 World Cup final, it is still the highest pick-up seen throughout this year’s tournament in the UK.
Additionally, it was higher than the expected pick-up predicted by the National Grid ESO. Energy usage also decreased throughout the game as indicated by the image below.
Despite being a loss for the UK’s footballing prospects, National Grid ESO may breathe a sigh of relief as remaining matches are unlikely to have a significant impact on the already tight system.
However, if England had reached the Semi-Final and then the Final, the picture could have been even more stretched by resulting energy pick-ups. Bring on 2026!