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. 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). Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. 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. IFA2 is 240 kilometres long subsea power cable, which stretches along the sea floor between Fareham, Hampshire in the UK and near . Following the incident, many analysts warned that the loss of 2GW of import to . 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. [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. read more. The IFA interconnectoris currently out of service following a fire at our site in Sellindge. The fire-damaged power link between the UK and France, known as the IFA interconnector will not be fully restored for another two years. To maintain grid frequency and power, the National Grid has a variety of frequency response assets, of which market batteries are the first to respond. Following the incident, it was forced to notify the wholesale electricity market that 1000MW would be unavailable until 27 March 2022 as a result. It will then be able to undertake further work to bring the full 2,000MW back by October 2023. until 13 October as a result. A major fire impacted the GB side of the interconnector, with 12 fire engines on-site to deal with the blaze. We wish to update you on the major incident that occurred at IFA yesterday. 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. Our priority has been to ensure we safely maximise IFA capacity to support Winter security of supply. "The outage is going to lift the potential for price volatility as long as its offline. and of course demand will get higher as we move further into winter, said Glenn Rickson, head of European power analysis at S&P Global Platts Analytics. Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. The Institution of Engineering and Technology is registered as a Charity in England & Wales (no 211014) and Scotland (no SC038698). AFCIs are designed to detect arcing electrical faults within your electrical system that may otherwise go unnoticed, until they potentially result in a fire. The IFA2 interconnector, a second link between Britain and France commissioned in 2020, is operating and not affected. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. Bristol, Glasgow, Manchester, Ipswich and Ilchester. All maintenance activities will be incorporated into return to service program. [9], This system remains the world's largest-capacity submarine cable HVDC system. BritNed and Nemo Link interconnectors are also operating at full capacity, the grid said. We are on-site assessing the damage and investigating the cause of the fire. We have extended the outage on the other 1000MW, which was offline due to a planned outage, until 25 September. 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. Following an initial review, we have updated the market that 1000MW is unavailable until 27 March 2022. Please visit the BMRS website for the latest market updates via the REMIT report. ifa interconnector fire cause. 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. 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. "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. We expect the full 2000MW of IFA capacity to be available for Winter 22/23. Customers who hold LT capacity rights can view there post curtailment allocation rights at D-2 on the JAO Platform. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. Our investigation is ongoing and we will update the market with any changes as necessary. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. However, National Grid said that it has been able to reduce the outage time of 1,000MW of capacity at the IFA interconnector so that it will come back to service three days ahead of its previously published plan: We are completely focused on getting IFA safely returned to service as soon as possible and ensuring we are able to support the security of supply.. [3] National Grid expects that the French IFA interconnector will restart full operations by December next year. Customers total rights are added together and then the reduction is applied. 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. Cables are laid in pairs in four trenches so that the magnetic fields generated by the two conductors are largely cancelled. This will result in 1500MW of available capacity going into next Winter. The cable had a length of 65km (40 miles) and was operated symmetrically at a voltage of 100kV and a maximum current of 800amperes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. "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. "The site has been evacuated and the safety of our staff, emergency teams and local residents is our . It was completed in 1986, and replaced the first cross-Channel link which was a 160MW link completed in 1961 and decommissioned in 1984. 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. National Grid has four operational interconnectors - two to France (IFA and IFA2), one to the Netherlands (BritNed) and one to Belgium (Nemo Link). Enabling cookies permits us to gather information about which categories and articles are the most interesting to our readers. Future auctions will be adjusted where necessary. The system was built with solid-state semiconductor thyristor valves from the outset. Network with hundreds of businesses and public sector organisations taking bigger steps to net zero. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. 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. The fire-damaged power link between the UK and France, known as the IFA interconnector will not be fully restored for another two years. 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. 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. why is marram grass important. We will then undertake further work in order to bring the full 2000MW back by October 2023. 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. 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. As of 2005[update], imports of electricity from France have historically accounted for about 5% of electricity available in the UK. 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. 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. 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. [10], In November 2016, during Storm Angus, a ship dragging an anchor cut four of the eight cable components, reducing capacity by 50%. "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. June 22, 2022; Posted by . [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. 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. ifa interconnector fire cause. The IFA1 interconnector is expected to be offline until Oct. 13, Elexon data shows. The maximum transmission power of this cable was 160megawatts (MW). We have extended the outage on the other 1000MW, which was offline due to a planned outage, until 25 September. Day-ahead British power prices jumped almost 19% on the news, nearing record highs hit this week exacerbated by low wind supply and soaring gas prices. 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. 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. A major fire impacted the GB side of the interconnector, with 12 fire engines on-site to deal with the blaze. VAT No: 988 8336 42. National Grid said: Following a detailed assessment on the 1,000MW 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. Whilst repairs were undertaken there was considerable down time on the circuit resulting in a loss of trading. A fire at National Grid's IFA1 interconnector site in Sellindge is to see power prices once again spike in the UK as 1GW of capacity drops off the system. Smart navigation app uses 3D sound to guide blind people. 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. The EU Commission and the UK Government continue to negotiate the terms of a free trade deal. We wish to update you on the major incident that occurred at IFA yesterday. 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. [12], In September 2021, a major fire at the Sellindge converter station led to the shutdown of the link. Please visit the BMRS website for the latest market updates via theREMIT report. 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. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. IFA Availabilty Update. Receive daily email alerts, subscriber notes & personalize your experience. Sopers Road, EN6 4SG, Registered as a business in England & Wales Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. This HVDC-link is 73km (45 miles) long in route, with 70km (43 miles) between the two ends. National Grid had a projected derated margin of 4.3GW in its early winter outlook report; this looks like it may have just almost halved. Our IFA2 interconnector continues to operate as normal at full capacity. 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. 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. Indeed, by 1984 the circuit was disconnected from the Main Transmission System. Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. National Grid announced that half of its capacity would be restored on 20 October 2021, with full capacity being restored by October 2023. The IFA interconnector has two Bipoles, each with a capacity of 1,000MW. The continued size and duration of the flows are open to some doubt, given the growth in demand in continental Europe for clean electricity, and increasing electricity demand within France. The remaining 1000MW is unavailable until 27 March 2022 and our investigation into the fire at our site in Sellindge is ongoing. A National Grid spokesman said it expects to continue supplying electricity safely and securely despite the incident. Writes about those markets as well as climate change, climate science, the energy transition and renewable energy and investment. Not registered? 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. Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. 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. In accordance with the IFA Access Rules capacity will be rounded down (e.g. 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 . The company added that will result in 1,500 of available capacity going into next winter. [17], Sellindge Converter Station on the UK side of the interconnector, Cross-Channel ( old) - Echingen Converter Station, Cross-Channel ( old) - Lydd Converter Station, Cross-Channel ( new) - Les Mandarins Converter Station, Cross-Channel ( new) - Sellindge Converter Station. Following the incident, it was forced to notify the wholesale electricity market that 1000MW would be unavailable until 27 March 2022 as a result. Curtailment is Pro Rata and therefore where curtailment is required, customers capacity will be reduced in line with the curtailment required. 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. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Register Now 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. "We are completely focused on getting. Our IFA2 interconnector is operating as normal at full capacity. Dear Customers, We wish to update you on the major incident that occurred at IFA yesterday. We will provide a further update in due course, the spokesperson said. LONDON Britains National Grid on Wednesday reported a fire at its IFA1 interconnector site in Sellindge in Kent and it has been evacuated. This table details the curtailment required for each month, this is in accordance with REMIT, should the availability change this table would change accordingly. The immediate effect is that since IFA1 was on half capacity anyway, we have only lost 1GW for this current period of extreme prices it was due to return to full import at the weekend. The subsea electricity . On Wednesday, National Grid said the fire. We will bring 500MW back to service from October 2022 through to May 2023. Suite 115, Cuffley Place [11] Repairs were completed by the end of February 2017. Read More; IFA2 Go-Live. Sign up to the E&T News e-mail to get great stories like this delivered to your inbox every day. 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. In common with the 1961 scheme, there is no provision to permit neutral current to flow through the sea. 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 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. 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 shock shutdown of the subsea cable sparked concern among industry experts over Britains energy supplies during record high market prices across Europe. The site has been evacuated and the safety of our staff, emergency teams and local residents is our highest priority. Which countries have embraced a 4-day workweek and hows it going. This is in addition to the 1000MW that is unavailable until Friday 17 September due to a planned outage. 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. The cable was built by ABB. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 1 GW of capacity to remain offline until March 2022, Day-ahead British power prices jump almost 19%. Phil Hewitt, director of EnAppSys, commented, This fire at IFA1 is a major event; we could be looking at an extended outage. Please visit the BMRS website for the latest market updates via theREMIT report. 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 IFA interconnector is currently out of service following a fire at our site in Sellindge. 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. (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. If you enjoyed this story you can sign up to our weekly email forEnergy Live News and if youre interested in hearing more about the journey to net zero by 2050, you can also sign up to thefuture Net Zeronewsletter. "We are completely focused on getting IFA safely returned to service as soon as possible," the grid said in an update on its website. On the other side, France has now got a net extra 2GW of available supply so this should help prices on the continent.. 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. 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. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. 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. A key substation at Kent was left damaged by a fire in September. Which countries in the EU are buying the most electric cars?