In response to the UK Government’s request in March this year to continue contingency contracts, EDF and Drax have confirmed that their coal units will not be available for another winter and have begun decommissioning.
In our weekly issue of Current± Price Watch – powered by Enact – we take a look at Britain’s interconnector plans, the approach of the end of the ESO’s Winter Enhanced Actions options, and passing on the drop in wholesale prices to consumers.
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.
Octopus Energy has called for the end of the use of coal as a backup energy source, as the ESO activates its contingency coal units for the first time this winter.
National Grid ESO has called on four of its contingency coal units to warm, as well as issuing an electricity margin notice (EMN), as capacity margins for this evening’s peak look tight.
National Grid ESO’s Winter Contingency Contracts with coal power stations are set to cost between £340 million and £395 million, subject to the procurement and use of the coal.
