Possible Blackouts in UK During Winter 2014-15, Say Engineers

Risk of power cuts in the United Kingdom will rise in the next five years as old generating plants close, with high probability of power outages during the winter of 2014-15.

“In the next decade, several coal and oil-fired power stations will be forced to close if they don not invest to comply with European regulation on pollution emissions,” John Roberts, chair of the study working group, commented in a note released by the Royal Academy of Engineering.

The demand for energy is expected to remain constant over the next five years, but the generation capacity is seen to fall in case energy firms did not invest in modernising and building new plants.

Britain could see widespread power blackouts during next year’s winter in case of adverse events like low wind, cold weather and unplanned plant outages. 

The Academy’s study was undertaken at the request of the Council for Science and Technology. The report made long-term and short-term recommendations to avoid a blackout scenario. 

‘Up to 2015, interim measures will be needed to prevent the further withdrawal and mothballing of gas-fired plant, and to bring forward more demand-side response, both of which could be critical to maintaining an adequate capacity margin. Recent proposals by government to introduce such measures are welcomed,’ read the press release.