Britain's winter power backup plan hits unexpected roadblock

Three back-up power plants built by Drax are stuck in limbo missing their planned oct-1 start date‚ which puts extra pressure on UKʼs winter energy supply

The facilities (located in Wales Suffolk and Milton Keynes) should add almost 1GW of power to the grid - enough for 1‚5 million homes but connection problems pushed their launch to early-2025. Each plant has 299-megawatt capacity; which is way smaller than regular stations but still important for peak-demand periods

Just few weeks ago on oct-14 the grid had to spend £12m to cover a power gap during low-wind conditions - the exact situation these plants were meant to handle. The National Energy System Operator which manages UKʼs power grid 24/7 didnt include these plants in its winter planning however

The delayed sites include:
* Hirwaun Power in Aberdare
* Progress Power station in Suffolk
* Millbrook Power near Milton Keynes

Kathryn Porter from Watt Logic points out: “We need more clarity about power plants timing - consumers pay extra money to ensure backup power is ready when wind isnt blowing“

A Drax representative explains: “The delay is due to grid connection issues but these plants will help UKʼs energy security when operational in 2025. Theyʼll provide power exactly when intermittent sources like wind or solar cant meet demand“

The situation shows broader issues with UKʼs power infrastructure - many new energy projects face similar connection delays stretching into 2030s. The grid operator promises to fix these problems by next spring but for now the system has to manage without this extra capacity