Cold snap sees margin notice issued

Low wind generation, outages and the cold weather saw the first Electricity Margin and Capacity Market notices of the year being issued by the system operator.

NESO stressed the notices, which were later cancelled, were routine tools used most winters and “do not mean that electricity supplies are at risk or that there is not enough electricity to meet demand”.

Extra supply was secured by the Viking Link Interconnector being brought back early from a planned outage and through the demand flexibility service.

Consultancy Watt-Logic said 8 January was the ‘tightest’ day the GB electricity market has seen since 2011.