Resilience and emergency planning

We are responsible for the safe, secure operation of Northern Ireland’s Transmission system. Our electricity needs are monitored on a minute-by-minute basis, both by our control centre in Belfast and the EirGrid National Control Centre in Dublin.

Every year, Every year, we forecast future demand through the annual Generation Capacity Statement. This signals Northern Ireland’s future electricity requirements.

Our control centre works to match generated electricity and consumer demand. We do this by using conventional generation and maximising renewable energy sources.

Demand varies on a daily, weekly and seasonal basis. Balancing the system is an intricate task but essential for maintaining system stability. This fact informs the planning we carry out to ensure the grid is safe, secure and reliable, 24/7, 365 days a year.

The control centre must also plan for unforeseen events. These can include electricity demand exceeding forecasts and generation not being available when required. In an electricity supply emergency, it may be necessary to restrict customers' consumption of electricity.

We are always working to maintain a resilient power system. It's important that we continue to plan for future demand and unexpected events.

Part of this is the Shaping Our Electricity Future plan. This is our strategy for integrating more renewable energy sources onto the grid. In a future with changing demand and a move towards decarbonisation, these energy sources are key to protecting our electricity supply.

There are different levels of alerts that we may issue on the grid. An alert is not unusual. When the buffer between electricity supply and demand is tighter than we would like, we issue an alert to the electricity sector. A system alert is the lowest level alert, followed by system emergency.

A system alert is the lowest level alert, with no immediate impact for electricity users. It warns of a heightened risk of temporary electricity supply issues in the near future. It means our engineers and the electricity sector can take pre-planned actions to protect the integrity of the grid.

The alert tells electricity generators to make their power plants available for use. During an alert, they shouldn't put their power plants at risk of breakdowns or operational challenges.

System alerts take place for a number of reasons. Most often, when the buffer between demand and the supply of electricity is tighter than normal. This is more likely during winter months. They typically pass without incident.

A system emergency happens much less often. It means there is a high risk that not all electricity demand can be met.

When the power system is in this state, our engineers work closely with NIE Networks engineers to protect the integrity of the grid. Their actions may include:
 

A system emergency is lifted once a balance between electricity supply and demand is restored.

We have tried and tested contingency plans in place to minimise any disruption for electricity customers.

These strategies to strengthen the system include:

In rare times of high risk, we might ask homes and businesses to voluntarily reduce their energy use during peak times. We only do this when absolutely necessary to protect against prolonged disruption.