Talking Energy Reliable energy

Reliable energy

What We're Doing

Ensure reliable energy

We aim to provide a secure energy supply, now and for the future, through reliable networks and diverse energy sources.

The next decade will be crucial for the future of energy in the UK and will be determined by the decisions we make today.

Over the next 10 years, we’ll lose around a third of the UK’s generating capacity, as a result of ageing power stations and the EU’s Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD) effectively closing a number of coal-fired plants.

We’re determined that neither will happen and we’re aiming to provide secure supplies of energy through a multi-billion pound investment new build programme.

And it’s not just about how we generate power – we’re spending huge amounts in upgrading our distribution network to ensure our power lines and cables can handle the new and innovative developments taking place to bring power to homes and businesses while minimising disruptions in supply to our customers.

Read more about the different ways we’re ensuring reliable energy.

E.ON UK and RWE join force

RWE npower and E.ON UK announced the creation of a joint venture in January to develop new nuclear power stations in the UK.

This creates a strong joint venture partnership which benefits from the backing of two companies with extensive experience of operating nuclear power stations and the resources and skills to deliver new nuclear plants.

The company – which is to be called Horizon Nuclear Power – will begin operation from 16 November, working from new headquarters near Gloucester.

The 50:50 JV aims to develop around 6,000MW of new nuclear capacity in the UK – enough to power a city the size of Greater London – by 2025. The first reactor is expected to come online around 2020.

Earlier this year the company secured development land at Wylfa on Anglesey and Oldbury-on-Severn in South Gloucestershire. Its programme of new nuclear power stations could involve more than £15bn in investment and create around 11,000 jobs, including 800 permanent jobs at each site and up to 10,000 during construction.

Dynamic line rating project

Wind farms tend to be located at the far ends of the distribution system where sometimes the cables cannot carry their full output and this becomes a particular problem if any local circuit is overloaded.

To try to waste less power, on our Skegness line for example, we’ve changed the settings on our system to allow more energy through. Crucially, we don’t lose the protection we need against thermal overloading.

Tree & Vegetation Management

Trees and vegetation are common causes of unplanned power cuts, so we needed to do something. In 2007, we developed a proactive tree strategy that involves clearing trees and other vegetation from around overhead conductors. Before this, all tree work was reactive rather than proactive, but reactive tree work costs about three times as much as managed tree clearing.

What did we do?

In 2007 we did some helicopter surveys, sent out foot patrols and used local knowledge to rank the circuits, based on the number of overgrown trees. We started with the most overgrown and ended with the least. A four/five year cycle (from 2009) is being implemented by contractors, for us to manage.

Did it work?

One way of knowing how effective the tree clearance programme is, is to measure the effect upon customer interruptions (CIs) and customer minutes lost (CMLs). We analysed the data and here are the results:

1. Until 2008, interruptions were increasing, but in 2009, the numbers fell.

2. Customer minutes lost have followed the same trend and have been falling since their peak in 2007.

3. The tree and vegetation clearance programme is improving our supply.

4. The benefits are most noticeable on our high voltage network, where we’ve put most of our effort and where the consequences are more serious.

The tree clearance programme has been so successful that it is being reviewed continuously and adapted as necessary. We intend to become the leading Network Operator for tree and vegetation management.