UK Power Plants Take a Third of Daily Gas

Britain's combined-cycle gas turbines (CCGTs) accounted for a third of gas demand on the morning of March 3, taking 103mn m³ out of a total throughput of 325mn m³/day. Another 20.35mn m³/d were exported to the continent. Local distribution zones took gas at a rate of 230mn m³/d for domestic and commercial heating, and industry took at a rate of 10mn m³/d.

Combined-cycle gas plants supplied 57.3% of the 41 GW of power demand as of 11.00 GMT, an increase from the snapshot March 2. Imports from France and the Netherlands supplied 12%; domestic nuclear 9.3%; biomass 7.2%; and coal 5%. Wind was down to 1.1% as the cold front means little air movement.

About 150mn m³/d of supply came from imports, split evenly between LNG and the Langeled line from Norway; storage and the UK continental shelf provided the other half.

With identical weather conditions, March 2 saw CCGTs supply 51% of power demand, also 41 GW at time of press, and burn gas at a rate of 93mn m³/day, so lower on both counts.