There has been a fire at our IFA interconnector site in Sellindge and emergency services are in attendance, a National Grid spokesperson said. Although each station includes an earth electrode, this is used only to provide a neutral reference, and only one of the two electrodes is connected at a given time so that there can be no current flow between them. On Wednesday, National Grid said the fire would mean 1 gigawatts, or half of capacity, would remain offline until 27 March 2022. read more. Today the tight market will be affected. 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. In the long run, we will lose 2GW of import to the GB markets whilst we are struggling at the moment with low margins. "The site has been evacuated and the safety of our staff, emergency teams and local residents is our . Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. The company added that will result in 1,500 of available capacity going into next winter. The outage comes at a time when UK baseload power prices are at record highs due to soaring gas prices, high carbon prices, tight supply and other maintenance outages. The planned October outage has been dismissed. ifa interconnector fire cause. For all media enquiries, please contact our press team on 01926 656536, The IFA interconnectoris currently out of service following a fire at our site in Sellindge. Oversees and coordinates EMEA coverage of power, gas, LNG, coal and carbon markets and has 20 years' experience in journalism. We sell the capacity to energy traders and provide services to transmission system operators in the UK and France. 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. 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. ifa interconnector fire cause. Writes about those markets as well as climate change, climate science, the energy transition and renewable energy and investment. The National Grid has just reported a fire at the IFA1 interconnector site in Kent. 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. We have extended the outage on the other 1000MW, which was offline due to a planned outage, until 25 September. Please visit the BMRS website for the latest market updates via theREMIT report. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. IFA2, National Grid's second electricity interconnector linking the UK and France, is now able to flow . There has been a fire at our IFA interconnector site in Sellindgeand emergency services are in attendance. 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. 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. [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. Wednesday's almost 19% price jump took British day-ahead electricity prices to 475.00 pounds per megawatt hour (MWh), close to a record high of 540 pounds MWh hit this week. Curtailment is Pro Rata and therefore where curtailment is required, customers capacity will be reduced in line with the curtailment required. It forced the shutdown of one of the most important power cables, which brings electricity from France to the UK. link, Last edited on 27 November 2022, at 00:36, "Interconnector customer portal | National Grid Group", "Kent's burnt-out electricity cable will take two more years to get back to full service", "HVDC Submarine Power Cables in the World", "How a Loose Anchor Cut Up Britain's Power Link With France", "Batteries act as first responders when UK-France interconnector trips", "National Grid site fire shuts down power cable between France and UK", "Fire shuts one of UK's most important power cables in midst of supply crunch", "Fire-damaged power link will be out for six months, says National Grid", "The UK's Energy Price Surge Could be Just Getting Started", http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/tna/+/http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file11257.pdf/, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HVDC_Cross-Channel&oldid=1124032410, This page was last edited on 27 November 2022, at 00:36. It will then be able to undertake further work to bring the full 2,000MW back by October 2023. [3] This HVDC-link is 73km (45 miles) long in route, with 70km (43 miles) between the two ends. Phil Hewitt, a director of the market consultancy EnAppSys, said at the time that the fire was a major event that would leave the UK in a risky position this winter especially if we suffer from periods of low wind and cold temperatures. The connector had been importing electricity from France in recent days as the UKs wholesale prices continued to rise. [15][16] On 15 October 2021, National Grid announced that half of the link capacity would be restored within the next few days, that 75% capacity would be available between October 2022 and May 2023, and that they hoped to restore full capacity by October 2023.[3]. "There has been a fire at our IFA interconnector site in Sellindge and emergency services are in attendance," the National Grid stated. I have LT capacity rights, will I be curtailed? The subsea electricity . Thankfully no one was injured and the emergency services got the fire under control and extinguished .The overall damage the fire caused is still be evaluated and we wish to take this opportunity to update you on how this has impacted on customers who currently hold LT capacity rights. The undersea section consists of eight 46km (29 miles) long 270kV submarine cables, laid between Folkestone (UK) and Sangatte (France), arranged as two fully independent 1,000MW Bipoles, each operated at a DC voltage of 270kV. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. The equipment occasionally faults, causing capacity to drop: in a bad year, this might happen several times. 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 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. Holy oil for King Charles' coronation consecrated in Jerusalem, Unrepentant Johnson to give 'partygate' evidence in UK inquiry this month, Reporting by Arpan Varghese and Brijesh Patel in Bengaluru; Editing by Edmund Blair, William Maclean, Exclusive: Snapchat kicks few children off app in Britain, data given to regulator shows, UK public inflation expectations rise unexpectedly -Citi/YouGov, Vaughan denies racism allegation, says Yorkshire hearing 'bad look' for sport, Finland to allow gender reassignment without sterilisation, Brazil approves GMO wheat as food supply fears help convince skeptics, FDA says no indication contaminated cough syrups have entered U.S. supply chain, China's central bank says will adjust policy in a timely way as economy recovers, Canada environment minister 'deeply concerned' about Imperial Oil tailings leak, Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionals. The site has been evacuated and the safety of our staff, emergency teams and local residents is our highest priority. We expect the full 2000MW of IFA capacity to be available for Winter 22/23. No: 07209102 [12], In September 2021, a major fire at the Sellindge converter station led to the shutdown of the link. [6] Given that the cable was laid on the surface of the seabed it was prone to being fouled by fishing nets, causing damage. 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 has four operational interconnectors - two to France (IFA and IFA2), one to the Netherlands (BritNed) and one to Belgium (Nemo Link). "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. ifa interconnector fire cause. 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. Rowe, B.A., Goodrich, F.G., Herbert, I.R., Commissioning the Cross Channel h.v.d.c. In accordance with the IFA Access Rules (Part 3 Long Term Allocation Rules, Chapter 9 Curtailment P135) capacity will be curtailed in line with capacity available. 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. The cable had a length of 65km (40 miles) and was operated symmetrically at a voltage of 100kV and a maximum current of 800amperes. Critics say it's not enough. 2023 The Institution of Engineering and Technology. LONDON, Sept 15 (Reuters) - A fire halted a power link between France and Britain on Wednesday, squeezing tight UK electricity supply further and sending prices to near record highs. Dear Customers, We wish to update you on the major incident that occurred at IFA yesterday. We will then undertake further work in order to bring the full 2000MW back by October 2023. The IFA interconnector is currently out of service following a fire at our site in Sellindge. The shock shutdown of the subsea cable sparked concern among industry experts over Britains energy supplies during record high market prices across Europe. 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. The remaining 1000MW is unavailable until 27 March 2022 and our investigation into the fire at our site in Sellindge is ongoing. 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. Future auctions will be adjusted where necessary. National Grid announced that half of its capacity would be restored on 20 October 2021, with full capacity being restored by October 2023. 10 czerwca 2022 Indeed, by 1984 the circuit was disconnected from the Main Transmission System. 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. Image: National Grid - IFA Interconnector, e are completely focused on getting IFA safely returned to service as soon as possible and. Thankfully no one was injured and the emergency services got the fire under . The operators annual winter outlook report said the UK had enough capacity to avoid blackouts affecting households and factories but tight supplies were likely to keep market prices at near record levels throughout the winter. 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. 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. tim petrovic career earnings ifa interconnector fire cause. On the other side, France has now got a net extra 2GW of available supply so this should help prices on the continent.. Sept 16 (Reuters) - Britain's National Grid said a fire at its IFA interconnector site in Sellindge in Kent, part of the connector that links the French and British power grids, was extinguished on Thursday. According to local media reports, the IFA1 interconnector is expected to be offline until 13 October. Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez/File Photo. 15.99MW would result in 15 MWs after the curtailment). 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. Prior to the 2021 fire, the link availability was around 98%, which was among the best rates in the world. 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. January 25, 2021, by Adis Ajdin. Which countries have embraced a 4-day workweek and hows it going. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We have notified the market that 1000MW. It permits us to understand how our readers consume content on our site, continually make improvements to both our layout and content as well as ensuring more targeted and relevant adverts can be delivered as users move between websites. Cables are laid in pairs in four trenches so that the magnetic fields generated by the two conductors are largely cancelled. Energy Live News Ltd By; June 14, 2022 ; carnival cruise cancellations 2022 . 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. 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. In 2006, 97.5% of the energy transfers were made from France to UK, supplying the equivalent of 3million English homes. Our IFA2 interconnector continues to operate as normal at full capacity. The electricity system operator, which is also owned by National Grid, warned last week that the risk of power cuts to factories and homes this winter had increased after the cable outage combined with planned shutdowns at gas plants and the retirement of two nuclear reactors. 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 . To learn more about what cookies we use and how to change your preferences please check our cookie policy. A National Grid spokesman said it expects to continue supplying electricity safely and securely despite the incident. Please visit the BMRS website for the latest market updates via the REMIT report. Which countries in the EU are buying the most electric cars? 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. 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. We will provide a further update in due course. Thats because Britain is currently facing an energy crunch with limited supplies, low margins and soaring power prices. "We are completely focused on getting. Sopers Road, EN6 4SG, Registered as a business in England & Wales Following record high power prices earlier this week, a fire at the IFA1 interconnector in Kent could cause power prices to rise further. 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. The IFA2 interconnector, a second link between Britain and France commissioned in 2020, is operating at full capacity. "We are in discussions with the UK electricity system operator (ESO) and our European partners to ensure we optimise upcoming planned pre-winter outages of our other interconnectors to support UK security of supply," it said. National Grid said late on Wednesday the fire would mean 1 GW, or half of capacity, would remain offline until 27 March 2022. read more. It was completed in 1986, and replaced the first cross-Channel link which was a 160MW link completed in 1961 and decommissioned in 1984. A fire occurred in the early hours of Wednesday 15th September 2021 at our UK Sellindge site resulting in the cables capacity being redu. A fire occurred in the early hours of Wednesday 15th September 2021 at our UK Sellindge site resulting in the cables capacity being reduced to 0MW. why is marram grass important. 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. 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.. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. Receive daily email alerts, subscriber notes & personalize your experience. [3], The first HVDC Cross-Channel scheme was built by ASEA and went into service in 1961,[4] between converter stations at Lydd in England (next to Dungeness Nuclear Power Station) and Echinghen, near Boulogne-sur-Mer, in France. Phil Hewitt, director of EnAppSys, commented, This fire at IFA1 is a major event; we could be looking at an extended outage. We will bring 500MW back to service from October 2022 through to May 2023.. 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. National Grid recently erected the worlds first T-pylon, which is shorter than traditional high-voltage pylons and has a smaller footprint on the ground. In order to keep the disturbances of the magnetic compasses of passing ships as small as possible, a bipolar cable was used. The EU Commission and the UK Government continue to negotiate the terms of a free trade deal. 1000MW (Bipole 2) has been operating since last month. 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. 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. [2] The 204-kilometre (127 mi) high voltage DC (HVDC) cable operates at +/-320kV with the capacity to transmit 1,000 MW of power. In accordance with the IFA Access Rules (Part 3 Long Term Allocation Rules, Chapter 9, Curtailment P139) holders of curtailed Long Term Transmission Rights shall be entitled to receive reimbursement per hour equal to: a) the Marginal Price of the initial auction; multiplied by; b) the volume in MW per hour corresponding to the difference between the Long Term Transmission rights held by the Registered Participant before and after the curtailment. Data from energy market analyst EnAppSys shows that in the year to date, overall average power prices have been more than double the average price in 2019-2020 and in the last two weeks daily average prices have been eight times the average in 2019. 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 IFA1 interconnector is expected to be offline until Oct. 13, Elexon data shows. 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. Following an initial review, we have updated the market that 1000MW is unavailable until 27 March 2022. IFA is currently at 0MW and here is a table detailing the capacity over the next 6 months in accordance with REMIT: Is the planned October outage still going ahead? Over 30 years experience in delivering secure, sustainable and affordable energy. Cory, B.J., Adamson, C., Ainsworth, J.D., Freris, L.L., Funke, B., Harris, L.A., Sykes, J.H.M., High-voltage direct current converters and systems, Macdonald & Co. (publishers) Ltd, 1965, p175218. until 13 October as a result. This is in addition to the 1000MW that is unavailable until Friday 17 September due to a planned outage. Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. 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. The landside parts of the link consist of 8cables with lengths of 18.5km (11.5 miles) in England, and 6.35km (3.95 miles) in France.[8]. The HVDC Cross-Channel (French: Interconnexion France Angleterre IFA 2000) is the 73 km long high-voltage direct current (HVDC) interconnector that operates since 1986 under the English Channel between the continental European grid at Bonningues-ls-Calais and the British electricity grid at Sellindge. Suite 115, Cuffley Place This is combined with the fact that some generators that were mothballed over summer have yet to restart, making wholesale electricity prices surpass their highest-ever level even prior to the interconnector fire. LONDON Britains National Grid on Wednesday reported a fire at its IFA1 interconnector site in Sellindge in Kent and it has been evacuated. We will provide a further update in due course, the spokesperson said. 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. 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. A fire at National Grid's IFA power interconnector site in Sellindge has caused the site to be evacuated while emergency services deal with the incident, the UK transmission system operator said Sept. 15. Customers who hold LT capacity rights can view there post curtailment allocation rights at D-2 on the JAO Platform. We can confirm the fire has been put out and Kent Fire & Rescue Service has left the IFA converter station site at 9.05 this morning. Fire at French interconnector sends electricity prices soaring, UK seen as toxic for satellite launches, industry tells MPs, Industry calls for urgent publication of strategy to bolster hydrogen transport, British-based renewables produced more electricity than gas this winter, AI tool helps pick the perfect organs for transplant, No long-term plan for decarbonising UK power sector risks 2035 goal, warns NAO, Net-zero flying would require using half of the UKs agricultural land, Brexit agreement good news for UK membership of Horizon Europe, UK and US hail commitment to delivering energy independence for Britain, UK drivers at risk of losing 9bn from electric vehicle savings, 60 miles of electrification is no regrets way to get diesel trains off key freight routes, AI could detect Alzheimer's disease from brain scans, Polluted seawater worsens inland air quality, study finds, Hands-on review: Proscenic A9 air purifier, US presents national cyber-security strategy, Satellites used to track global greening to understand climate change impact, Concerns over driverless car safety rose significantly in 2022, Money & Markets: The economic prospects are not as bad as they seem, Escalating boreal forest fires point to carbon time bomb, scientists warn, 117 zero-emission buses to take to English roads. In recent months, the soaring cost of natural gas and a warm, dry and windless start to autumn 2021 caused record prices on the market. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. Enabling cookies permits us to gather information about which categories and articles are the most interesting to our readers. The fire-damaged power link between the UK and France, known as the IFA interconnector will not be fully restored for another two years. 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. [9], This system remains the world's largest-capacity submarine cable HVDC system. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. 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.