A fire occurred in the early hours of Wednesday 15th September 2021 at our UK Sellindge site resulting in the cables capacity being redu. While the extent of the damage is yet to be fully realised, it is likely to delay IFA1s return to full capacity at a time where it is desperately needed. All Rights Reserved. On Wednesday, National Grid said the fire. We will provide a further update in due course. The remaining 1000MW is unavailable until 27 March 2022 and our investigation into the fire at our site in Sellindge is ongoing. Earlier this week, the GMB Union called for a new generation of nuclear power plants in order the help UK meet its 2050 net-zero carbon emissions pledge. Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. [6] Given that the cable was laid on the surface of the seabed it was prone to being fouled by fishing nets, causing damage. Future auctions will be adjusted where necessary. VAT No: 988 8336 42. The IFA Interconnector that meets the UK in Sellindge can carry about 2GW between the two countries but the National Grid said a fire has forced a complete evacuation of the site. ifa interconnector fire cause. National Grid has four operational interconnectors - two to France (IFA and IFA2), one to the Netherlands (BritNed) and one to Belgium (Nemo Link). National Grid UK revealed that a fire broke out at the Interconnexion France Angleterre (IFA) interconnector site in Sellindge, Kent at around 12:30am last night.A spokesperson for National Gird stated: "There has been a fire at our IFA interconnector site in Sellindge and emergency services are in attendance.The site has been evacuated and the safety of our staff, emergency teams and local . Get the latest from Electrical Review direct to your inbox Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution, September 14, day-ahead pricing reached a record high, New Welsh Government Green Skills Action Plan highlights ECA, Local authorities in the South East failing to consult on EV strategy, Megger confirms sponsorship of Powered On Live event, New European research project hopes to give new life to old EV batteries. The IFA Interconnector that meets the UK in Sellindge can carry about 2GW between the two countries but the National Grid said a fire has forced a complete evacuation of the site. The IFA interconnectoris currently out of service following a fire at our site in Sellindge. [1/2]Migrating starlings fly at dusk past electricity pylons silhouetted by the sunset of a clear autumn evening in the Kent countryside, in Graveney, Britain, October 26, 2015. Following the incident, many analysts warned that the loss of 2GW of import to Britains grid could spark furtherenergy price rises. The fire-damaged power link between the UK and France, known as the IFA interconnector will not be fully restored for another two years. until 13 October as a result. I have LT capacity rights, will I be curtailed? Curtailment is Pro Rata and therefore where curtailment is required, customers capacity will be reduced in line with the curtailment required. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. This is in addition to the 1000MW that is unavailable until Friday 17 September due to a planned outage. BritNed and Nemo Link interconnectors are also operating at full capacity, the grid said. It forced the shutdown of one of the most important power cables, which brings electricity from France to the UK. The IFA interconnector is currently out of service following a fire at our site in Sellindge. IFA2 is 240 kilometres long subsea power cable, which stretches along the sea floor between Fareham, Hampshire in the UK and near . National Grid said the fire prompted the evacuation of its IFA1 interconnector site in Sellindge in Kent. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We have been able to reduce the outage time of 1000MW of capacity at the IFA interconnector so that it will come back to service on 20th October, ahead of the 23rd October date we had previously published. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. The other 1 GW capacity of the IFA1 link is currently offline due to planned maintenance which will be extended until Sept. 25, the spokesperson said. Gas and electricity prices surged yesterday, with month-ahead gas prices hitting all-time highs, after National Grid confirmed that the blaze at a site in Kent had caused the closure of the IFA . On September 14, day-ahead pricing reached a record high, with a peak energy price of 2,500 per MWh, which is significantly higher than the 40 per MWh average baseload price during 2019-20. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. A National Grid spokesman said it expects to continue supplying electricity safely and securely despite the incident. Another cable linking the two electricity systems, IFA-2, was also completed earlier this year, although yesterdays incident will not have any impact on it, the National Grid added. National Grid has four operational interconnectors two to France (IFA and IFA2), one to the Netherlands (BritNed) and one to Belgium (Nemo Link). [10], In November 2016, during Storm Angus, a ship dragging an anchor cut four of the eight cable components, reducing capacity by 50%. [13][14] National Grid initially announced that half of the link capacity would be restored within a fortnight, with full capacity being restored in March 2022. In addition, we will no longer need to take Bipole 1 out of service from May 2023 to October 2023, as communicated in our previous REMIT notification. Unlike most HVDC schemes, where the two converter stations are built by the same manufacturer, the two converter stations of the 2,000MW scheme were built by different manufacturers (although both have subsequently become part of the same parent company, Alstom). This HVDC-link is 73km (45 miles) long in route, with 70km (43 miles) between the two ends. We are completely focused on getting IFA safely returned to service as soon as possible and we are in discussions with the UK ESO and our European partners to ensure we optimise upcoming planned pre-winter outages of our other interconnectors to support UK security of supply. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. The Sellindge converter station was built by GEC[7] and the Les Mandarins converter station was built by CGE Alstom. [2] The 204-kilometre (127 mi) high voltage DC (HVDC) cable operates at +/-320kV with the capacity to transmit 1,000 MW of power. IFA2, National Grid's second electricity interconnector linking the UK and France, is now able to flow . Interconnexion France-Angleterre (IFA) is a joint venture between the French transmission operator RTE and National Grid, operating a 2 gigawatt subsea electricity link between Britain and France. Britain's National Grid said on Wednesday there has been a fire at its IFA1 interconnector site in Sellindge in Kent and it has been evacuated. National Grid has four operational interconnectors - two to France (IFA and IFA2), one to the Netherlands (BritNed) and one to Belgium (Nemo Link). By; June 14, 2022 ; carnival cruise cancellations 2022 . Writes about those markets as well as climate change, climate science, the energy transition and renewable energy and investment. The site has been evacuated and the safety of our staff, emergency teams and local residents is our highest priority. Energy crisis reignites demand for oil, threatening climate targets, says IEA, Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDesk, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Interconnexion France-Angleterre (IFA) is a joint venture between the French Transmission Operator RTE and National Grid, operating the subsea electricity link between Great Britain and France, commissioned in 1986. Energy Live News Ltd The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. A key substation at Kent was left damaged by a fire in September.It forced the shutdown of one of the most important power cables, which brings electricity from France to the UK.. Commissioned in 2020, IFA2 is the second link to France that National Grid has developed with RTE. Today the tight market will be affected. Day-ahead power prices hit record high, following highs in balancing market, Electric vehicles to increase electricity demand by 25% by 2040. 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"Our investigation is ongoing and we will update the market with any changes as necessary," a National Grid spokesperson said via email. It forced the shutdown, Aldi pays back customers for recycled plastic bottles, Ofgem to unveil new energy price cap next week, Drax to exit gas sales on customers SME business. The company added that will result in 1,500 of available capacity going into next winter. Read More; IFA2 Go-Live. As of 2005[update], imports of electricity from France have historically accounted for about 5% of electricity available in the UK. Auction timetables are available on JAO and the IFA website. Our IFA2 interconnector continues to operate as normal at full capacity. Please visit the BMRS website for the latest market updates via theREMIT report. In order to keep the disturbances of the magnetic compasses of passing ships as small as possible, a bipolar cable was used. Following a detailed assessment on the 1000MW of capacity that is offline due to damage caused by a fire at our site in Sellindge in September, we need to carry out extensive work to safely return it to service. We will keep you updated on any major changes and if you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us. The fire at the IFA site essentially means the loss of 2 gigawatts (GW) of interconnection capacity between the UK and France which further tightens the supply situation in the UK, said Roy Manuell, EU power and carbon analyst at ICIS Energy. On the other side, France has now got a net extra 2GW of available supply so this should help prices on the continent.. Finland will allow transgender people to change their legal gender at their own request and without undergoing sterilisation, new legislation signed by the Finnish President confirmed on Friday. Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. A fire at National Grid's IFA interconnector has led to the site in Sellindge, Kent to be evacuated but it could now seriously affect energy costs. FILE PHOTO: Migrating starlings fly at dusk past electricity pylons silhouetted by the sunset of a clear autumn evening in the Kent countryside, in Graveney, Britain. "The fire at the IFA site essentially means the loss of 2 gigawatts (GW) of interconnection capacity between the UK and France which further tightens the supply situation in the UK," said Roy. With margins tight anyway for this winter, as exposed by National Grid ESOs early winter outlook publication this year, it puts the GB market in a risky position for the winter and especially if we suffer from periods of low wind and cold temperatures. We are on-site assessing the damage and investigating the cause of the fire. The cable, known as the IFA Interconnector, will finally return to full service after further work, which National Grid hopes to complete by October 2023. The IFA1 interconnector is expected to be offline until Oct. 13, Elexon data shows. Which countries in the EU are buying the most electric cars? Please visit the BMRS website for the latest market updates via theREMIT report. ifa interconnector fire cause. A key substation at Kent was left damaged by a fire in September. 15.99MW would result in 15 MWs after the curtailment). The subsea electricity . Since the commissioning of the 2,000MW DC link in the 1980s, the bulk of power flow through the link has been from France to Britain. We currently have a sufficient buffer of spare capacity to operate the electricity system securely over this evenings peak demand period, he said in an email. read more. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez/File Photo. Initially these were air-cooled and used analogue control systems, and in 2011 and 2012 respectively, the thyristor valves of Bipole 1 and Bipole 2 were replaced by modern water-cooled thyristor valves and digital control systems supplied by Alstom. A fire occurred in the early hours of Wednesday 15th September 2021 atour UK Sellindge site resulting in the cables capacity being reduced to 0MW. UK homes and businesses face some of the highest energy bills on record because of the global dash for gas, which has led to soaring market prices. Customers are able to return plastic or glass bottles and aluminium cansin exchange for vouchers wo Energy bills are set to increase as the level of the government's Energy Price Guarantee will rise, The company expects its gas retail portfolio will be "almost entirely gone" by end of 2024, a fire in September. The cable is also known as IFA,[1][2] and should not be confused with the new IFA-2, another interconnect with France that is three times as long but only half as powerful. Imports through the interconnector have generally been around the highest possible level, given the capacity of the link. The connector had been importing electricity from France in recent days as the UKs wholesale prices continued to rise. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. On Wednesday, National Grid said the fire. The planned outage of 1000MW of capacity at the IFA interconnector has been extended until 23 October. "There has been a fire at our IFA interconnector site in Sellindge and emergency services are in attendance," the National Grid stated. According to local media reports, the IFA1 interconnector is expected to be offline until 13 October. Please see the latest REMIT message here that details the Outage, please see the Outage Profile showing the phased return of capacity in line with the table above. Prices on September 15 cleared lower but still at an extreme price of 1860 per MWh for the evening peak, but prices on the remaining interconnectors for capacity were extreme, with the Britned cable clearing at 2131 per MW/h. We have notified the market via REMIT that we expect our IFA interconnector to return to full service on 16 December 2022 - 10 months ahead of our previous estimate. Wholesale electricity prices have soared after a fire at an interconnector linking the French and British power networks, the National Grid has reported. IFA2, National Grids second electricity interconnector linking the UK and France, is now able to flow low carbon electricity between the two countries at full capacity. In the long run, we will lose 2GW of import to the GB markets whilst we are struggling at the moment with low margins. Whilst repairs were undertaken there was considerable down time on the circuit resulting in a loss of trading. Prices of electricity on the day-ahead market peaked at 2,500.01 per MWh for delivery between 7pm and 8pm on the N2EX exchange, with an average daily price of 424.61. We are completely focused on getting IFA safely returned to service as soon as possible and ensuring we are able to support security of supply, the company said in a statement. The fire-damaged power link between the UK and France, known as the IFA interconnector will not be fully restored for another two years. In 2006, 97.5% of the energy transfers were made from France to UK, supplying the equivalent of 3million English homes. Indeed, by 1984 the circuit was disconnected from the Main Transmission System. Following the incident, it was forced to notify the wholesale electricity market that 1000MW would be unavailable until 27 March 2022 as a result. No: 07209102 Following record high power prices earlier this week, a fire at the IFA1 interconnector in Kent could cause power prices to rise further. Customers will be compensated at Initial Price Paid. On Wednesday, National Grid said the fire would mean 1 gigawatts, or half of capacity, would remain offline until 27 March 2022. read more. We will bring 500MW back to service from October 2022 through to May 2023.. There has been a fire at our IFA interconnector site in Sellindge and emergency services are in attendance, a National Grid spokesperson said. Which countries have banned TikTok, and why? All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. It added: Our investigation is ongoing and we will update the market with any changes as necessary.. The current 2,000MW link is bi-directional and the countries can import or export depending upon market demands, mostly depending upon weather conditions and availability of renewable energy on the British Isles, and French surplus of nuclear generation or demand for electric heating. 2023 The Institution of Engineering and Technology. The IFA connector was the first cross-Channel link, completed in 1961 with an initial 160MW capacity. Interconnexion France-Angleterre (IFA) is a joint venture between the French Transmission Operator RTE and National Grid, operating the subsea electricity link between Great Britain and France, commissioned in 1986. Interconnexion France-Angleterre 2 (IFA2), electricity interconnector linking the UK and France, is now able to flow low carbon electricity between the two countries at full capacity. (Reuters) - Britain's National Grid on Monday said a planned outage of 1000 MW of capacity at IFA interconnector in Sellindge in Kent has been extended until Oct. 23. The FTSE 100 energy company hopes to bring another 500MW of capacity back to service between October 2022 and May 2023, meaning the cable will be running at three-quarters of its capacity through that winter. ifa interconnector fire cause. Suite 115, Cuffley Place Dear Customers, We wish to update you on the major incident that occurred at IFA yesterday. IFA1 is a 2,000 MW interconnector that links Great Britain and France, and while it has recently been at half capacity, it was set to return to full capacity this weekend, before tragedy struck. The shutdown came at a time of high prices and supply shortage in the UK electricity market, caused by low wind speeds and high prices for natural gas. Our priority has been to ensure we safely maximise IFA capacity to support Winter security of supply. The Institution of Engineering and Technology is registered as a Charity in England & Wales (no 211014) and Scotland (no SC038698). "We are also in the process of commissioning North Sea Link, our latest interconnector to Norway, to provide additional capacity next month - ahead of the winter period," the grid added. A fire occurred in the early hours of Wednesday 15th September 2021 atour UK Sellindge site resulting in the cables capacity being redu Read More. sims 4 occult baby traits; 22 . The outage comes at a time when UK baseload power prices are at record highs due to soaring gas prices, high. The fire-damaged power link between the UK and France, known as the IFA interconnector will not be fully restored for another two years. The blaze at the Sellindge converter station in Kent forced a shutdown of the high-voltage cable that brings electricity from France to the UK last month as energy markets rocketed to all-time highs amid global energy supply difficulties. Lab leak theory: 3 years on, will we ever know where COVID came from? This was eventually decommissioned in 1984 and replaced by a second link capable of carrying 2GW in 1986. We wish to update you on the major incident that occurred at IFA yesterday. The impact is expected to plunge hundreds of thousands of homes into fuel poverty for the first time and has already forced a slowdown at factories to manage eye-watering energy costs. We are completely focused on getting IFA safely returned to service as soon as possible and ensuring we are able to support security of supply. National Grid expects that the French IFA interconnector will restart full operations by December next year. Image: National Grid - IFA Interconnector, e are completely focused on getting IFA safely returned to service as soon as possible and. Oversees and coordinates EMEA coverage of power, gas, LNG, coal and carbon markets and has 20 years' experience in journalism. Following the incident, many analysts warned that the loss of 2GW of import to . Following an initial review, we have updated the market that 1000MW is unavailable until 27 March 2022. This scheme was equipped with mercury-arc valves, each having four anodes in parallel.[5].