Between 12 a.m. and 4 a.m. on the morning of Wednesday, May 10th, and again from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. on Thursday May 12th, all the coal-fired electrical generating stations in Britain were shut down. It is claimed to be the first time this has happened "since the era of central electricity generation began with the construction of the UK's first coal plant in 1882."
Earlier in the evening, there had been a shortage of electricity due to unplanned shut-downs of coal- and gas-burning plants, failure of the cross-Channel HVDC cable, and unusually light winds. E.ON was paid £1,250 per megawatt-hour, 30 times the typical rate, for running its Connah's Quay Power Station after a Notification of Inadequate System Margin was proclaimed at 7 p.m.
Coverage:
submitter's note: The 14 January 1982 New Scientist had a story about the coal-powered generating station opened in London in 1882, which was the world's first. Presumably it had down-time.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by ledow on Friday May 20 2016, @07:02AM
So all the coal fired plants were shut down, in a country that imports a lot of energy, has nuclear plants and had fired up an gas-plant earlier in the day.
Briefly, overnight, in the lowest-demand period possible.
This is somehow an achievement? I'm British and I'm just laughing.
(Score: 2) by tfried on Friday May 20 2016, @08:10AM
Well, nuclear is only 16% in the UK, compared to 28% coal (http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/energy-industry/electricity-generation.html), and AFAIU your nation's capacity for energy imports was severely impaired, during the same time frame. Also, from TFA, the entirely-without-coal-thing wasn't exclusively overnight, only the "historical first period" without coal happened to be in the night, with several repeats to follow over the next few days, including peak hours.
Other than that, agreed, not terribly notable. But if this really was a first since 1882, it still carries a rather obvious symbolic meaning, IMO.
(Score: 3, Informative) by wonkey_monkey on Friday May 20 2016, @08:42AM
This is somehow an achievement?
No, it's an occurrence, and one that apparently hasn't happened in the history of centralised British energy production.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 2) by BasilBrush on Friday May 20 2016, @11:17AM
Who said it was an achievement? The reactionary voice in your head?
Hurrah! Quoting works now!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 20 2016, @11:54AM
The implication in the SN headline is that the event is a positive one, therefore an achievement.
In actuality, problems at coal plants led to their unscheduled shut downs.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 20 2016, @02:52PM
Fatso does without food, briefly.
Gets the pizza for free.
(Score: 3, Informative) by butthurt on Friday May 20 2016, @03:41PM
My use of the expression "to do without" in the headline was in the sense of managing in the absence of something one is accustomed to having--in this instance, electricity from coal. To me the expression implies survival, but with the likelihood of some unpleasantness--in this instance, the fee paid to E.ON.
The Guardian mentions another reason that coal plants were offline:
as does another Telegraph story: [telegraph.co.uk]
The latter ascribes the unprofitability of coal plants to low prices for gas, and to a tax on carbon.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 20 2016, @05:39PM
That makes sense, especially with a compare and contrast with piece about Portugal. "Renewables Fill All Electric Needs for 107 Hours Straight." Your summary also mentions a shortage. I think the other AC is just being a little oversensitive. Never ceases to amaze. Shutting down coal plants? Greenie commies!
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 20 2016, @05:20PM
> In actuality, problems at coal plants led to their unscheduled shut downs.
Problems at the remaining coal plants led to their unscheduled shut downs.
The scheduled closures of all the other coal plants prior to that is why shutting down only a couple of plants was sufficient to make the UK coal-free for a short time.
That's the positive story here - they are so close to being coal free that it only takes a couple of plants going offline to get into the endzone.