Energy nationalism and interconnectors: the next power threat? | Nils Pratley
Solar eclipses are far easier to manage than Europe’s cross-border electricity politics In the end, the solar eclipse did not cause the electricity grid to flicker. The early drop-off in solar generation was manageable, just as the National Energy System Operator (Neso), the state-owned body responsible for keeping the lights on, predicted. Gas-fired generators still had to be paid nose-bleed…
The recent solar eclipse did not disrupt Europe's electricity grid, despite the early drop-off in solar generation, as the National Energy System Operator (Neso) had predicted. To compensate for the loss, gas-fired generators were paid exorbitant prices to start up, and power was sourced expensively via high-voltage interconnectors to continental Europe.
However, the incident has exposed the European grids' dependence on interconnectors, particularly in the face of extreme weather and an increased use of intermittent renewables.
On another scorching day with minimal wind, a fifth of power to the British grid was derived from the continent at 10am. French cables alone met 11% or 3.54 gigawatts of demand, which is more than double the output from the UK's entire windfarm fleet at that time. This reliance on interconnectors highlights a potential threat to energy security, raising questions about the future of energy nationalism and the role of interconnectors in the evolving power landscape.
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