coal

The UK’s last remaining coal-fired power station has received its final shipment of coal ahead of shutting down later this year.

This week’s issue of Current± Price Watch – powered by Enact – explores the summer spike in demand which led to a coal fired power plant being ordered onto standby, the prediction of a falling price cap on household energy bills in Q4 2023, and National Grid ESO publishing its Early View of Winter Outlook report proposing the return of the Demand Flexibility Service (DFS) for the winter period of 2023/24.

National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) proposes the return of the Demand Flexibility Service (DFS) for the winter period 2023/24.

On Monday (12 June), National Grid ESO asked Uniper to warm two coal units at the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station to help meet a spike in demand due to increasing temperatures.

Energy think-tank Ember has revealed in its Global Electricity Review 2023 that the UK recorded a 23% increase in wind generation capacity last year.

French-owned energy company EDF Energy has confirmed that West Burton A, a coal-fired power station, closed at midnight 31 March 2023.

The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has asked National Grid ESO to explore the potential of extending the contingency coal contracts into next winter, but all five units will be unavailable.

While there is a risk of blackouts due to electricity shortages over the coming winter, National Grid ESO is ”cautiously confident”.

Uniper is the latest company to reach an agreement with the UK Government to keep a coal-fired power plant online throughout the winter months in order to mitigate the impact of the ongoing energy crisis.

​The Economic Affairs Committee (EAC) has called on the government to act now to avoid a disorderly transition to net zero.