A day after the government imposed lockdown, energy demand was down 13% across the day (Wednesday 25 March). According to Cornwall Insight figures, this was much lower than the average Wednesday in March 2019, which is shown in the below graph.
Over the coming weeks, electricity demand and gas is bound to fall further as most of the British economy grinds to a halt. “The government announced lockdown resulted in further reductions. This is most notable in the morning peak and middle of the day when we would typically expect the industrial and commercial load to be ramping up” Cornwall Insight commented.
Challenges of low load
Low load makes it more difficult for National Grid to ensure system stability. “Low demand means there is less space to operate larger synchronous generators. This can affect system inertia and Rate of Change of Frequency – how quickly the system responds to a change of conditions.
“To cope with this, the Electricity System Operator (ESO) could constrain wind and keep thermal plant such as gas or coal running,” suggested Tom Edwards, Cornwall Insight’s senior modeller.
So far, no large industrial consumers had announced closures. Many market observers say, however, the coronavirus will have a long-lasting effect on the way we work, travel and live. Providers of electricity and natural gas will eventually have to adapt to these changes.