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Great Britain’s energy system operator has said there could be “tough days” for energy supplies in winter, but stressed that new battery storage will help meet national demand.
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) indicated that the imported electricity supply Europe The power can be used “when needed” to help homes and businesses.
The electricity grid operator and National Gas have published their latest energy outlook report for this winter, following a rise in prices at the start of the month with a rise in price caps.
Nesso said on Thursday that power margin, which reflects the availability of excess power supply to meet customer needs, reached its strongest level since 2020.
But it also said there may still be some “difficult periods” that may require support from the energy industry.
“We expect to have a substantial operating surplus throughout the winter, although there may still be difficult days that require us to use our standard operating tools, including system notices,” the report said.
System notice is how the grid operator informs the wider energy industry that electricity supply does not match demand, allowing generation to be increased when needed.
Early data from power companies and forecasters showed that the “tight days” would most likely occur in early December or mid-January.
Nesso said imports would be available if needed to meet demand, supported by “ample electricity supplies across Europe”.
Deborah Peterson, director of resilience and emergency management at Nesso, said: “A flexible and reliable energy supply is fundamental to our way of life.
“At Nesso we are looking forward to the upcoming winter and can report that this year’s winter outlook sets the strongest power margins in six years.
“It is vital that we continue our work with the wider energy industry to build on this foundation and prepare for the coming months to maintain our world-leading track record of reliability.”
Meanwhile, the latest analysis of National Gas has indicated that great britain There is sufficient gas supply capacity to meet peak demand.
It indicated that supply can meet demand, even “accounting for unexpected network outage scenarios”.
The gas network operator said gas demand is expected to be 3% lower than last winter, which will ease pressure on supply.
It said days of high demand were still expected but stressed that it was “confident” the market would work as needed.
Glenn Bryan-Jacobsen, director of energy systems and resilience at National Gas, said: “As we head into winter, we remain confident in the resilience of our gas system and our ability to meet the UK’s energy needs during peak demand.
“The energy landscape is evolving, with increasing reliance on imports and a continuing decline in UK continental shelf supply.
“Dealing with these challenges requires a coordinated, visionary approach and we are working together to Government“Industry and regulators will develop the right solutions that ensure security of supply for the future.”
But the National Gas report shows a decline in Britain’s gas storage capacities, attributed to the Raft storage site off the coast of Yorkshire no longer storing gas, meaning reliance has turned to imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to bridge the gap at times of high demand.
facility in north sea the largest of its kind in the UK, but the owner central Filling it with natural gas has stopped amid concerns over its financial feasibility.
The Raft site contains around half of Britain’s storage capacity, and acts as a buffer when the weather is particularly cold and demand for gas spikes.
Centrica has long warned that without government support to allow investment in the site it would be closed.