Latest news with #EnergySystemOperator
The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
Heathrow could SUE National Grid after fault that caused fire was identified seven years ago
HEATHROW may sue the National Grid after a probe found a fault causing the huge substation fire was identified seven years ago. The blaze in March halted flights for 24 hours — affecting 270,000 passengers and costing the airport millions. A probe by the National Energy System Operator found faulty fire safety equipment and moisture in electrical parts flagged in 2018 were not addressed, and maintenance was delayed again in 2022. The North Hyde substation fire was caused by 'catastrophic failure' in a transformer, triggered by moisture entering electrical components. Heathrow's network was not designed to recover quickly. The airport said it was making improvements. Energy watchdog Ofgem has now launched a probe into the National Grid, which could result in fines. Heathrow said: 'A combination of outdated regulation, inadequate safety mechanisms and National Grid's failure to maintain infrastructure led to this catastrophic power outage.' National Grid said it had 'taken action'. called the findings 'concerning' and promised action to prevent similar incidents. Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, handled over 83.9million passengers in 2024. 1
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
National Grid failures led to fire that caused Heathrow shutdown, report says
STORY: A fire that shut Heathrow Airport in March, stranding thousands of passengers, was caused by National Grid's failure to maintain an electricity substation. That's according to an official report released Wednesday. The closure of Heathrow, the busiest airport in Europe, cost airlines tens of millions of pounds. It also raised questions about the resilience of Britain's infrastructure. The report follows a review of the incident on March 21 by the National Energy System Operator. It manages the electricity network and was separated from National Grid last year. As a result of the report, Britain's energy regulator Ofgem launched an enforcement investigation. It said its review had seen evidence that a "catastrophic failure" on one of the transformer's high voltage bushings at the substation caused the transformer to catch fire. And that National Grid controls in place were not effective. A National Grid spokesperson said that the company had a comprehensive asset inspection and maintenance programme in place. And that it had taken further action since the fire. Ofgem plans to review whether National Grid had complied with the relevant legislation and licence conditions. As well as an independent audit to review whether the failings were a one-off or systemic.
Business Insider
29-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
The boss of Heathrow slept through the first 6 hours of a mass power outage that shut down Europe's busiest airport
The CEO of London Heathrow Airport was asleep and colleagues struggled to reach him during the first hours of the shutdown in March. Some 200,000 passengers faced disruption when Europe's busiest airport suffered a power outage due to a fire at a nearby electrical substation. A review into the incident was published on Wednesday, shedding more light on how executives handled the crisis. The alarm was raised shortly after midnight on March 21, as several key systems lost power and others were left using back-up energy. However, Thomas Woldbye, the airport's CEO, could not be reached. The chief operating officer, Javier Echave, also attempted to call him "several times" during the early hours of the day, according to the review. Woldbye ultimately missed the decision to suspend airport operations, which was instead made by Echave. The CEO said he became aware of the incident at around 6:45 a.m., some five and a half hours after the airport had decided to shut down, and more than six hours after the first indication of problems. He reported to the review that he didn't hear the first alarm or Echave's calls because he wasn't aware that his phone had gone into silent mode while he was asleep. While the CEO's absence may have added to the stress on the day, both Echave and Woldbye said the decision to stop operations wouldn't have changed if the latter had been involved. The review recommended "enhancements" to the notification process of critical incidents, such as a second means of contacting key individuals. It added that Heathrow has "taken steps" to implement this. In total, 27 recommendations were made by the review, led by Ruth Kelly, an independent Heathrow board member and former UK transportation secretary. "Whilst the disruption was significant, alternative choices on the day would not have materially changed the outcome," she said in a press release. "The airport had contingency plans in place, and the report highlights that further planned investment in energy resilience will be key to reducing the impact of any similar events in the future," Kelly added. A full report from the National Energy System Operator is expected by the end of June.
