UK's National Grid accused of ‘cutting off the Netherlands’ during heatwave as power supply pushed to limits

Britain has been accused of “cutting off the Netherlands” during the recent heatwaves as the nation’s power grid was pushed to its limits, risking blackouts across the UK.

Speaking to GB News, columnist Juliet Samuel claimed that decisions were taken after the nation’s energy supply “fell below safe levels for a really sustained period”.

Ms Samuel was speaking after independent investigators were drafted in to examine accusations that the state-run National Energy System Operator (Neso) had obscured the threat of blackouts during soaring temperatures.

Conservative Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho told Parliament last week that Britain’s power grid was “not being run securely, with a particularly severe event on June 23” and that bosses were “risking blackouts to protect Neso’s reputation”.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

She revealed that whistleblowers had approached her with fears that “the grid is becoming increasingly unmanageable and they do not have faith that their concerns are being taken seriously internally”.

Ms Samuel said that an internal Neso memo showed that “the grid did not have enough (energy) generation” on June 23, at the height of the heatwave.

“There wasn't enough energy going into it to meet demand,” she explained.

“The frequency of the grid, which is the speed at which the electricity oscillates through the grid, the thing that keeps the grid stable, fell below safe levels for a really sustained period. This incident was not managed properly.

“The document shows that there's no reason why it wouldn't happen again and put us in, frankly, a very difficult and dangerous situation.

”Both the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Neso have stringently denied that the grid was overloaded and insist that 'no customer demand was disconnected, frequency and voltage remained within statutory limits, and no lines or cables were overloaded'."

However, Ms Samuel claimed the body’s report contradicted this denial and that access to British energy had been denied to the Netherlands.

“Their report says that someone was actually cut off during that incident on June 23, and it was in the Netherlands," she said.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• Andy Burnham set to announce plans for new North Sea oil and gas drilling in blow to Ed Miliband
• BBC labelled pro-EU after featuring just one Brexiteer in 10-part Brexit series
• British holidaymakers to face ‘European frontier roulette’ with summer getaway delays

“We are quite well connected to our neighbours. That's one area where there has been quite a lot of investment, but the system relies upon a free flow of energy and upon countries being able to call upon one another.”

She explained that, in situations such as the soaring temperatures on June 23, the “safety protocols dictate that you need to start rationing demand.

Ms Samuel continued: “That means you lower the voltage. You say it's going to take a little bit longer to boil your kettle while we work out how to get more generation.”

However, the Times columnist alleged that the Netherlands was cut off altogether during the height of the heatwave.

A Department of Energy and Net Zero spokesman told GB News: “The UK has one of the most reliable electricity systems in the world. In its 75-year history, there has never been a complete shutdown.

“We are very confident in our security of supply arrangements and that Niso have the tools they need to manage the system. At no time has there been any concern about being able to meet demand, even during the current heatwave.”

A Neso spokesman also told The People’s Channel that: “During an unprecedented period of extreme heat and tight margins across Great Britain and Europe, the electricity system operated securely.

“No customer demand was disconnected, frequency and voltage remained within statutory limits, and no lines or cables were overloaded. A full review into the analysis of system and market operation is underway and will be published.”

Regarding claims made by whistleblowers, the body said it takes such allegations “extremely seriously and has commissioned an independent external investigation led by Eversheds Sutherland, reporting to an independent panel.

“The terms of reference for this investigation are still being finalised and will be published on Nico's website shortly. To provide transparency both for Neso staff and for our external stakeholders.”

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter