National Grid Chief Affirms Heathrow’s Adequate Power Supply Despite Shutdown
John Pettigrew mentioned that two substations were always available for distribution network companies and Heathrow to access power.
The CEO of National Grid stated that despite the shutdown on Friday, Heathrow Airport had sufficient power from the remaining substations.
The disruption occurred after a fire at an electricity substation in Hayes on Thursday evening, causing flight operations to halt until Friday evening.
Pettigrew emphasized that there was no lack of capacity from the substations and each substation could provide ample power to Heathrow individually.
He further mentioned that two substations were always ready for distribution network companies and Heathrow to receive power in case of emergencies.
Heathrow Airport spokesperson responded to Pettigrew’s comments, acknowledging the unprecedented nature of the incident and the challenges faced in restarting operations after the power outage.
Thomas Woldbye, Heathrow’s Chief Executive, explained that a backup transformer failure led to the need for system closures to facilitate power restructuring from the remaining substations.
‘Key Weakness’
A report by Jacobs highlighted a “key weakness” in Heathrow’s electricity supply, specifically mentioning potential disruptions due to outages.
The report also commended the airport’s operational risk management efforts, indicating that Heathrow had adequate measures in place to withstand interruptions to power supply.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has initiated an investigation into the power outage, involving relevant authorities to determine the cause of the substation fire.
A review of Heathrow’s crisis management plans and response to the outage will be conducted by Ruth Kelly, an independent board member.
Heathrow successfully resumed operations over the weekend, serving a full schedule of flights to accommodate the affected passengers.
British Airways also aimed to operate a near-full schedule post the incident, ensuring minimal disruption to passengers.
Heathrow, as Europe’s largest airport, faced significant passenger impact during the closure period caused by the power outage.
