UK heatwave prompts order to fire up coal plant to meet aircon demand

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National Grid has asked a coal-fired power station in the east Midlands to warm up to cope with extra electricity demand for air conditioning as much of Britain swelters in the heat.

In the early hours of Monday morning, the grid’s electricity system operator (ESO) asked its owner, Uniper, to ready its Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in Nottinghamshire for use.

Temperatures broke 30C for the first time this year over the weekend and meteorologists forecast the chance of Britain experiencing a hot summer was 45% – 2.3 times the typical figure.

The hot weather is expected to push up demand for power, as households and businesses switch on airconditioning units. Air conditioning accounts for about a fifth of the total electricity used in buildings around the world.

The earliest the coal-fired plant would be able to connect to Great Britain’s electricity grid would be 2.25pm and it may not be needed. If it is connected to the network on Monday, it would end a 46-day run in which coal has not been used to generate electricity in Britain.

National Grid has suggested that consumers can improve the energy efficiency of air conditioning by changing or cleaning the machine’s reusable filter, closing windows and doors and by shutting curtains to block the sun’s light and heat coming into the home.

Last week, a fault was found on the 1,400-megawatt North Sea Link interconnector that carries power between Norway and the UK, cutting electricity supplies. The power flowing through the 450-mile subsea cable has been reduced by half while the fault, discovered at an onshore facility in Norway, is repaired.

Ratcliffe-on-Soar was among the coal-fired power stations put on standby to provide extra power by the ESO over the winter amid concerns that a cold snap and a reduction in gas from Russia to Europe could lead to rolling blackouts.

In the event, the plants were frequently warmed but only called into action in March, when EDF’s West Burton A plant in Nottinghamshire began producing power before the coldest night of the year.

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The life of Ratcliffe’s fourth unit was extended for two years beyond its planned closure date last year, with all units now due to shut by September 2024 as Britain phases out burning coal for power generation.

The ESO also called on households to save power by shifting their usage away from peak hours through its demand flexibility service. The network operator said last month that households and businesses saved enough power over the winter to power 10m homes.