National Grid has fired up a coal-fired power station for the first time in 55 days after Britain’s record-breaking heatwave brought wind turbines to a near-standstill and caused gas-fired power stations to struggle. The electricity system operator brought Britain’s latest coal-free streak to an end by calling for the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in Nottinghamshire to begin generating electricity before a peak in electricity demand. Electricity supplies have become tighter than expected during the heatwave because gas-fired power stations have struggled to generate electricity at their maximum capacity owing to the unusually high temperatures. It takes more energy to compress hot, humid air to the same mass as air which is cooler and drier, so many power plants become less efficient as the outside temperature rises. Ratcliffe is one of Britain’s few remaining coal-fired power stations, which are all due to shut down by 2025 under the government’s ban on coal-fired power.

Source: The Guardian August 12, 2020 18:23 UTC