Latest news with #NationalEnergySystemOperator
Times
21-07-2025
- Business
- Times
Neso ‘sorry' after online portal to prioritise grid connections fails
The National Energy System Operator has been forced to apologise after the IT system it set up to handle the crucial process of prioritising grid connections failed to work for hundreds of companies. The government-owned body responsible for keeping Britain's lights on said it was 'truly sorry' over the failings with its IT portal, which one expert warned could raise the risk of legal challenges against the organisation. Accelerating connections to the electricity network has been a key priority for the government as it seeks to get new solar, wind and battery projects built to hit its 2030 clean power goals. There is a huge 'queue' of more than 5,000 projects with a total capacity of 738 gigawatts waiting to secure grid connections — more than four times the clean generation capacity required by 2030. However many of these are 'zombie' projects that will never be built but are effectively bedblocking, preventing shovel-ready projects getting the go-ahead. To tackle this problem, Neso opened a three-week application window this month for companies in the queue to submit evidence as to how soon their projects could be built, enabling it to prioritise those that are ready to connect and are required to meet the 2030 goals. It has since been inundated with more than 2,000 'queries' from companies struggling to use the system. Some were unable to access the IT portal at all, while those who could log on encountered basic issues such as finding the upload facility for legally required documents did not work, or that text could not be entered into forms that had to be completed. 'Nothing about this portal works,' one industry source said. The setback is embarrassing for Neso, which had described the opening of the application window as 'a key moment in the once-in-a-lifetime transformation of our electricity network, and a vital step for delivering clean power by 2030', pledging it was a 'simpler, more transparent, and faster way' for required projects to secure updated contracts. Last week Kayte O'Neill, chief operating officer, wrote an open letter to the industry in which she said Neso was 'truly sorry for the concern and disruption this is causing' and said it would extend the application deadline by at least five working days 'in direct response to the challenges you have faced with our Connections Portal'. Lisa Waters, founder of the energy consultancy Waters Wye Associates, said: 'The fiasco will simply end with parties who lose their connections considering legal action. We need to pause, fix the portal, test it and restart. Daily IT patches and unresolved queries are not acceptable when projects are worth millions of pounds.' Barnaby Wharton, director of future electricity systems at RenewableUK, the trade body representing many wind farm developers, said: 'Major issues remain which are preventing our members from submitting applications for grid connections for their projects. It's critical that Neso does everything in its power to address these issues as efficiently as possible.' He suggested that the deadline may need to be further extended as 'Neso will not have fulfilled its statutory duty until all projects have had a full two-week period to submit their applications without issues preventing them from doing so' and it was 'highly unlikely that this will be possible within the five-day extension which Neso has provided so far'. A spokesman for Neso said it was 'working hard to resolve the technical issues impacting the ability of some customers to submit evidence to Neso of their project's deliverability'. 'We apologise to our customers and understand the concern and disruption this is causing them,' he said. 'We are committed to addressing the challenges being faced with the utmost urgency so that all customers are able to submit evidence as soon as possible.'
Times
18-07-2025
- Business
- Times
Hot weather hits SSE's power generation
Hot and dry weather in the UK affected output at SSE's hydroelectric plants, which was down by about 40 per cent in the quarter to the end of June. The 'unfavourable weather conditions across April and May' contributed to a 4 per cent overall drop in SSE's renewable energy generation compared with the same period of the previous year. The fall in output from its conventional hydroelectric plants and a 34 per cent decline in output from its pumped storage hydro plants were partially offset by a 15 per cent rise in onshore wind generation, while offshore wind output was down 1 per cent. The wind figures include output that SSE agreed to sell but was then paid not to generate by the National Energy System Operator because of network bottlenecks. Some of the company's offshore wind farms and its Viking onshore wind farm on Shetland have drawn criticism for a high proportion of their output being 'constrained', and the costs levied on consumer bills. SSE said that its full-year expectations remained unchanged despite the unfavourable weather in the first quarter, with 'the key winter months still to come'. SSE is a FTSE 100 energy group that operates electricity transmission cables in the north of Scotland and distribution networks in Scotland and central southern England. It also has a fleet of power plants comprising wind farms, hydro plants and gas-fired power stations. The group operates eight hydro and pumped hydro schemes in Scotland and is aiming to build a new pumped hydro scheme at Coire Glas. • How to keep the lights on when the wind doesn't blow Scottish Water said in May that it had been the driest start to the year across Scotland since 1964, with only 59 per cent of long-term average rainfall between January and April, and May even lower for most of the country. That left reservoir levels below their average for the time of year. The Met Office has said that Britain is seeing the effects of climate change, with drought declared in several areas after repeat heatwaves and that the UK's climate is now 'notably different to what it was just a few decades ago'. Jenny Ping, an analyst at Citi, said that 'onshore wind and hydro load factors have consistently fallen across SSE's renewable portfolios over the last decade'. She had previously said that it was not clear whether that was 'due to shift in weather patterns or reflects ageing assets'. Ping added on Thursday that Citi was awaiting updates from SSE on capital allocation and how it will fund its growth, but that a strategic update was likely to be in November at the earliest and potentially not until full-year results in May next year. SSE has received some clarity for its portfolio of late after the government ruled out zonal electricity pricing, which it had strongly opposed. The proposed shift to regional pricing could have restricted constraint payments for wind farms and could have reduced the need for new transmission cables in Scotland. Two big moments are looming for the company, however. The government's next subsidy auction for renewable power projects is expected in the coming months, in which SSE is expected to bid for contracts for a number of proposed wind farms. A final Ofgem decision on the regulated spending plans for its electricity transmission network is expected by the end of this year after SSE criticised the draft decision for allowing too little expenditure to 'fund the investment necessary to deliver a clean power system by 2030' and offering investor returns that it argued were 'not commensurate with globally competitive market rates, robust market evidence, and the significant business risks of investing in electricity transmission'.
The National
17-07-2025
- Business
- The National
Extra safety checks led to delayed transportation of SSEN transformer
As a business headquartered in Perth – within the north of Scotland electricity transmission area that we operate, and with some 2500 members of staff spread across many towns, cities and villages – we take our responsibilities towards local communities very seriously. The letter referred to a transformer transported under police escort from Invergordon to Wester Balblair on Saturday July 5, and which passed through Beauly in the early afternoon of the concluding day of the Beauly Gala. This relates to the second of two transformers that were transported through the village. The first transformer arrived at Beauly substation on the evening of Wednesday July 2. READ MORE: Reform 'sabotaging' Scotland's energy industry, blasts John Swinney While it was originally intended that the transportation of the second transformer should happen on the Friday, and then on the Saturday morning, delays were caused by necessary maintenance and additional safety checks undertaken by our hauliers and contractors. We will always listen to local concerns about our activities, and have already apologised for any inconvenience that may have been caused due to the delay of transporting this second transformer. It should be noted that these transformers are critical to maintaining the current electricity network in the area. The letter also referred to health concerns not being included in the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) that we submit as part of planning applications such as for the proposed Fanellan substation and converter station project. The scope of factors included within an EIA follows a long-established and robust process for the development and determination of electricity transmission infrastructure. Any potential health impacts associated with electricity transmission infrastructure are well understood, and we strictly adhere to all relevant health and safety legislation and regulations, as your readers would expect. READ MORE: Tory MP brands SNP 'fifth columnists' over weapons funding opposition More generally, SSEN Transmission is currently upgrading the transmission system in the north of Scotland through our £20 billion 'Pathway to 2030' programme of investment. This is a mix of new onshore and subsea electricity transmission projects – and upgrades to existing network infrastructure – that will increase the amount of renewable electricity connected to the grid. The need for these projects has been approved by the independent energy regulator Ofgem, after being assessed and recommended as required by the National Energy System Operator . SSEN Transmission is obligated by licence to develop and deliver the work. Growing the grid is critical for the delivery of clean power and energy security ambitions, and UK and Scottish government net-zero targets. The projects will also deliver a significant economic boost, and important legacies such as community benefit funding and more housing. As part of the fabric of Scotland's economy and society, it is our aim at SSEN Transmission to carry out all our work transparently and in partnership with the communities we serve. Kevin Smith Programme Director, SSEN Transmission, Perth LYNDSEY Ward's letter helped to illustrate something that is happening all across Scotland and is a blight on the lives of people everywhere. She gives us a clear example of how the interests of the local community are considered to be of no consequence, when big business is allowed to put their financial interest before everything else. Unfortunately, this is not just the case in Beauly. In Ardrossan the ferry to Arran is being held up, disrupting the lives and the economic interest of the local people, to service the vested interests of a large private company not based in Scotland. In Loch Lomond side, the same pattern emerges, local views and interests are ignored to allow a private company to make profits. Indeed there are example of this all over our country. READ MORE: Will John Swinney surprise us with a courageous election manifesto? Not content with robbing Scotland of its natural resources, the UK establishment uses our country and people in any way it likes, with very little opportunity for communities to resist. There is, however, one way to oppose this effectively. Our petition before the Scottish Parliament, if accepted, would put a UN human rights covenant into Scots law. The Scottish Parliament has limited powers under the Scotland Act, but fortunately has the power under the Act to do what our petition requests. If they did that, local people would have the power at local, regional or national to demand referendums on any civil or political issue, and the outcome of such referendums would be legally enforceable. Now this would give considerable power to local communities. If you think our communities should have such legal powers to fight back, go on line to the Scottish Parliament website click on Petitions, then 'view petitions' then enter our petition number PE2135 then go to 'full petition' you can read the petition there and if you agree with it you can sign it, thousands of Scots have already done so. If you want to help local people to resist these impositions, do something positive about it. Andy Anderson National Convener RSS (Respect Scottish Sovereignty)
Bloomberg
14-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
UK Grid Operator Boosts Forecast for Electricity Demand Growth
UK power demand is set to increase by more than previously forecast due to higher population growth rates and the electrification of the economy, according to the National Energy System Operator. Electricity demand is expected to grow by more than 30% to a range of 370 to 408 terawatt-hours by 2035, NESO said on Monday. That range is about 8% higher than similar analysis a year ago.
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Energy bills to rise because of delays to Labour's plan to slash prices
Households across the UK could face electricity bill increases due to delays in the government's clean energy projects. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has previously pledged that average household energy bills will be £300 lower by 2030 as Britain shifts to using more renewable energy from wind farms. However, ministers have been warned that three vital projects 'critical to delivering a network which supports the clean power pathways' will be delayed until after 2030. The National Energy System Operator (Neso) calculated that the delays to these projects will cost consumers around £4.2 billion in 2030. Three critical grid projects in East Anglia and the southeast are needed to connect offshore wind farms in the North Sea, Neso said. 'Our assessment suggests that without these projects, the clean power objective would not be achieved, leaving the clean power target short by around 1.6% in 2030, and consumers could face extra constraint costs of around £4.2 billion in 2030,' it said in the report. Constraint costs are the penalties paid when electricity can't flow efficiently to where it's needed. This means the government might have to compensate offshore wind farm developers for switching off turbines because the electricity grid wouldn't be able to carry the power to households, and there are fears these costs will be passed onto customers. The report also urges a more joined-up approach that considers both national and local networks to avoid bottlenecks. It highlights the benefits of new electricity grid-enhancing technologies and additional projects that could cut reliance on polluting gas power stations. Bringing forward eight more projects could reduce costs by a further £1.7 billion in 2030, but the operator said doing so will be 'extremely difficult' without sweeping reforms to planning rules and funding processes. Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho said Mr Miliband's pledge to reduce bills by £300 was 'always a fantasy'. 'This is what happens when you set yourself impossible climate targets and ignore the costs,' she wrote on X, formerly Twitter. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has been approached for comment. It comes as the government announced it will be dropping its plans for energy pricing zones. The energy secretary had been considering proposals for zonal pricing that would see different areas of the country pay different rates for their electricity, based on local supply and demand. But the government has now decided to retain a single national wholesale price. Zonal pricing would have seen bills based on how much electricity is available, meaning areas such as Scotland, which generates large amounts of power, would have lower market prices. But it also means market prices in other parts of the country, such as the South East, would have been higher. Proponents of the scheme said it would save billions of pounds each year by making the electricity grid more efficient, but critics said it would create a postcode lottery where people face an unfair disparity in bills.
