Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has ordered the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to launch an urgent investigation into the power outage at Heathrow Airport, which was caused by a substation fire on Friday.
The disruption, which left thousands of passengers stranded and led to widespread flight cancellations, was triggered by a fire at the North Hyde substation in west London, a key facility supplying power to the airport.
In a statement, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the investigation aims to build a “clear picture of the circumstances surrounding this incident” and assess the UK’s overall “energy resilience” to prevent similar events in the future.
Government Seeks Answers on Energy Resilience
Miliband emphasized the importance of understanding the root cause of the failure and ensuring that lessons are learned. “We are determined to properly understand what happened and what lessons need to be learned,” he said.
The Energy Secretary also noted that the findings of the investigation will help the government strengthen energy security, particularly for critical national infrastructure such as airports. “We must ensure that incidents like this do not happen again, both now and in the future,” Miliband added.
Six-Week Timeline for Initial Findings
NESO, which manages Britain’s electricity grid, has been tasked with presenting an initial report to energy regulator Ofgem and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero within six weeks. The report is expected to provide details on the cause of the outage, as well as recommendations for preventing similar disruptions.
The Heathrow power failure highlights the growing concerns over the resilience of the UK’s energy infrastructure. As the government pushes for a more robust and secure power grid, the findings of this investigation could shape future policies to safeguard key national assets from unexpected failures.
