SSE to test Peterhead plant ahead of winter supply contract

SSE will complete a ‘test run’ of its Peterhead gas-fired power plant on Wednesday before it exits the UK power market to stand in reserve as part of National Grid’s security of supply measures for this winter.

The 780MW plant has secured a one year contract with National Grid which allows the transmission system operator to call on the plant if the UK’s 4.1 per cent derated capacity margin for this winter shrinks to dangerous levels over high winter demand periods.

To ensure the rarely-used plant is capable of ramping up to avoid a supply shortfall SSE will conduct a one-off test on Wednesday, SSE said.

“The plant will generate throughout the day, gradually increasing its output until the evening peak period when it will generate at 740MW for just over two hours,” a statement from the company said.

A spokesman for National Grid told Utility Week that the test run is permitted by National Grid but is arranged at the discretion of the operator.

For example, Scottish Power’s Ryehouse gas-fired power plant, which also signed a supplemental balancing reserve (SBR) contract with National Grid, is in regular use so the generator may not feel that a test is necessary.

The third plant to sign a contract with National Grid is RWE’s Littlebrook plant which “rarely runs” but has generated power over peak periods several times in the last two months.

A spokeswoman for RWE told Utility Week that the plant has proven over recent weeks that it is ready to meet its contractual obligations.

On Tuesday Peterhead’s generation was sold the anticipated electricity to be generated during this period of operation through the N2EX day ahead auction.

The plant will not be available to the market again until the contract ends in one year.