Great Britain’s National Energy System Operator has issued a warning regarding potential strain on the country’s electricity supply during Thursday evening’s peak period, citing extreme temperatures expected across the region. The operator sent out a notice requesting power generators to provide additional supplies to address increased demand from households using fans and air conditioning units to cope with the heat.
This alert comes approximately three weeks after a previous heatwave swept through the UK, during which the country recorded a provisional temperature peak of 37.7C at Lingwood in Norfolk on June 27, surpassing the prior June record of 35.6C established in 1976. The current heatwave represents the third occurrence of extreme heat in recent weeks, with parts of southern England expected to reach highs around 34C on Thursday. Although these temperatures are anticipated to remain below the record set last month, the hot weather pattern is forecast to persist for approximately 10 days.
Neso characterized its electricity margin notice as a standard operational tool used to maintain system balance and stated that forecasts indicate tight electricity margins during the following day’s evening peak due to extreme temperatures across Europe reducing availability of certain generation sources. The operator emphasized that there is no anticipated risk to customer electricity supplies, though the notice raises the possibility of higher-than-average payments to gas power plants to ensure electricity demand can be met.
The strain on electricity systems extends beyond Britain. France’s state-owned utility EDF reported that the heatwave is pressuring its nuclear reactors, which regularly export power to the UK and Germany. The company indicated that output from up to five nuclear plants could be reduced in coming days, as elevated river temperatures used for reactor cooling necessitate production adjustments. Western Europe is experiencing its third heatwave in six weeks, with the extreme conditions also triggering significant wildfires in France and Spain, where tens of thousands of hectares have burned.
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