§ Mr. TynanTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many gas-fired power stations are classified as(a) shipper nominated interruptible, (b) Transco nominated interruptible and (c) network sensitive loads. [132435]
§ Mr. TimmsThere are 19 interruptible Combined Cycle Gas Turbine stations (CCGTs) in England and Wales. Transco has rights of interruption over all of these CCGTs. The shippers' contractual arrangements are not fully known, but it is thought that in the great majority of cases, they do have interruption rights. Even if they do not, the stations may still be self-interrupted in order to arbitrage between the gas and electricity markets. One of these CCGTs is a Network Sensitive Load, which means that its position within one of the Transco Networks makes it more likely to be interrupted for reasons of local capacity constraints. Another CCGT is in a network sensitive position from an electricity perspective. Based on National Grid Transco's latest information and experience of this station switching fuels when interrupted in the past, there is a high degree of confidence in the station's alternative fuel capability.