Ancillary services in Great Britain during the COVID-19 lockdown: A glimpse of the carbon-free future

The COVID-19 pandemic led to partial or total lockdowns in several countries during the first half of 2020, which in turn caused a depressed electricity demand. In Great Britain (GB), this low demand combined with large renewable output at times, created conditions that were not expected until renewable capacity increases to meet emissions targets in coming years. The GB system experienced periods of very high instantaneous penetration of non-synchronous renewables, compromising system stability due to the lack of inertia in the grid. In this paper, a detailed analysis of the consequences of the lockdown on the GB electricity system is provided, focusing on the ancillary services procured to guarantee stability. Ancillary-services costs increased by 200m pound in the months of May to July 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 (a threefold increase), highlighting the importance of ancillary services in low-carbon systems. Furthermore, a frequency-secured scheduling model is used in the present paper to showcase the future trends that GB is expected to experience, as penetration of renewables increases on the road to net-zero emissions by 2050. Several sensitivities are considered, demonstrating that the share of total operating costs represented by ancillary services could reach 35%.

Automated summary

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns led to decreased electricity demand in several countries, including Great Britain. The low demand, combined with high renewable output, posed challenges for the stability of the GB system. Increased costs for ancillary services underscored their importance in low-carbon systems, as the penetration of renewables is expected to rise in the future.