Britain is preparing to run the entire electricity grid without burning any gas for periods this summer – in a radical move towards a net zero future.
Officials at the National Energy System Operator (Neso), the government-funded body that oversees the network, have revealed plans to keep the lights on using only wind, solar, nuclear, battery storage and power imports for trial 30-minute periods.
If successful, it would mark a dramatic shift in how Britain powers homes and businesses – and make the UK one of the first major industrial nations to manage without gas, even temporarily.
However, the move carries risks, as solar and wind power are considered volatile. At the same time, the grid must grapple with technical hurdles including the need for ‘inertia’ – a force needed to keep power supplies to the grid stable – which is normally provided by gas turbines.
Spain and Portugal were plunged into darkness recently in a major blackout. Some claimed this was due to a reliance on solar and wind, although this has been challenged.
There was no shortage of green power, but it appears there was a failure of the grid and the balancing inertia regime needed to maintain a stable power supply.
In the UK, engineers are turning to high-tech solutions like spinning flywheels to maintain a stable grid. Separately, hydropower plants, such as Scotland’s Cruachan dam, are on standby to provide power backup.
Jacob Mandel, from energy consultancy Aurora, said: “It’s inevitable at some point we’ll see an hour or two when gas isn’t running.
“That will be an important proof of concept for how the UK grid could look in the longer term.”
He told the Telegraph: “We’ve seen over the last few years gas use falling and falling, with more renewables built out in the UK and contributing to generation.”
Despite the ambitions, Britain’s energy system remains heavily reliant on electricity imports from Europe via subsea cables – much of which comes from gas-fired power stations on the continent.
Up to 18% of the country’s power is imported in this way, meaning the grid could still be relying on gas, albeit indirectly.
The current UK record for renewables generation stands at 98.2%, reached on April 15 last year, when gas supplied just 1.8% of electricity. Since then, more wind and solar farms have come online, making a fossil-free grid more feasible.
But technical challenges remain. Without the rotating mass of gas turbines, the grid risks instability. Inertia – the energy that helps keep grid frequency within safe limits – must now come from other sources.
Adam Bell, a former senior official at the Department for Energy who now works at consultancy Stonehaven, said: “Running the system without any fossil-based spinning reserve and instead relying on the stability services that batteries, storage and renewable energy sources can provide is our first glimpse of the future of our power system.”
The Government has set a target to have 95% of Britain’s electricity come from clean sources – including nuclear – by 2030. The summer gas-free trial is being seen as a small but symbolic step towards that ambition.
