Winter power margins highest for six years

The system operator expects to see the largest electricity margins for six years this winter. 

In its latest Winter Outlook report, NESO said growth in battery storage and greater availability of gas power stations, along with the commissioning of the Greenlink electricity interconnector to Ireland, have helped grow this year’s margins to 6.1GW, almost 1GW more than last year. 

“We continue to see relative stability in markets across Europe, giving us confidence that Great Britain will be able to rely on secure supplies from overseas when we need them,” said Dr Deborah Petterson, Director of Resilience and Emergency Management.

However, although margins have improved the system operator said it was important to remain vigilant. 

“As we witness a once-in-a-generation increase in both electricity supply and network infrastructure, ensuring we retain one of the most reliable networks in the world is only becoming more important,” it said.