Britain exports electricity to Europe

• 2 years ago (2022-07-15)
• David Flin

Europe 1089 Transmission 191

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The British power system, normally a net importer of electricity from mainland Europe, has been exporting power for the first time since 2017. Figures from the National Grid show that Britain has exported power every month since April to France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

This has largely been driven by the large number of French reactors being offline for refuelling o maintenance, combined with unexpected corrosion issues at older plants, resulting in France having its lowest nuclear output for more than 10 years.

British gas-fired power stations, boosted by increased supply of LNG, have been able to generate more electricity for export.

Phil Hewitt, Director of energy consultancy EnAppSys , said: “The French nuclear situation and the war in Ukraine have changed the balance between export and import of power from the continent to the British market.”