Drax Group (LSE:DRX) workers from its hydro-pumped stations in Scotland could potentially strike in the coming months, threatening to cut supply to the UK power grid.
A vote on strikes takes place from Wednesday until 22 February, opening the door for UK power workers to follow their French counterparts in walking out.
If successful, around 50 workers could strike from early March, potentially cutting a combined 481MW of output from Stonebyre, Crauchan and Glenlee hydro power stations.
Although this isn’t much of the average 30GW of demand seen over the past year, it would add another strain onto the UK’s energy supply, which has been squeezed following the Ukraine war.
The Demand Flexibility Service, which allows customers to be paid to cut usage, and the delayed decommissioning of EDF and Drax operated coal power stations are tools to mitigate this.
“We have plans in place to ensure that there will be no impact on electricity supplies should the action go ahead in Scotland,” reassured a Drax spokesperson.
Engineers, plant controllers, mechanics and electrical staff will be among those voting, after having rejected a pay offer which Unite union suggested was “significantly below” inflation.
What's happening in France?
France has seen its energy output hit by strikes, leaving it partially relying on imports from other countries to keep the lights on – including from the UK.
Power workers joined cross-industry action in France on Tuesday for the second day, protesting against President Macron's plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.
It follows a strike by millions of people earlier this month.
France is also suffering from ageing nuclear power stations, with around half of the country's 56 reactors being closed at some point last year due to their "parlous state," said Paul Dorfman, chair of academic thinktank Nuclear Consulting Group.
On Tuesday morning, France was importing 6.5GW of power, of which 3.5GW was coming from across the English Channel, according to RTE and National Grid data - up on the weekly average of 0.9GW - as a nationwide strike slowed EDF-operated nuclear output and stopped deliveries to TotalEnergies SE (NYSE:TOT, EPA:TTE) sites.
This follows a similar story last week, which saw UK backup coal power stations warmed to meet demand in France, although these were never used.
UK/French winter agreement
An agreement between National Grid PLC (LSE:NG.)’s system operating wing (ESO) and French operator RTE suggests contingency power and the Demand Flexibility Service could be used to feed power to the continent “on an occasional and exceptional basis”.
“In support of mutual cooperation between Great Britain and its neighbouring electricity networks the ESO answered France’s request for additional Great British generation,” commented an ESO spokesperson last week, following the warming of spare UK coal power stations.
Under the agreement, exports can be reduced to 0%, down from 9% of UK generation flowing to France currently, with restrictions able to be put on interconnections “in extreme scenarios”.
“We will make every effort possible to provide assistance to neighbouring transmission system operators provided it does not require disconnection of GB consumers,” writes National Grid though, suggesting the deal could go both ways.