Ulster Unionist Economy Spokesperson Diana Armstrong MLA has said that Northern Ireland’s Energy infrastructure needs a comprehensive review following the Heathrow Airport power outage last month.
Ms Armstrong said, “Following the disruption caused by the power outage at Heathrow Airport last month, it was announced that the National Energy System Operator would carry out a review into the resilience of the energy infrastructure.
“However, this body’s remit is solely with Great Britain, meaning the review will not extend to Northern Ireland.
“While the review’s findings will be shared with Northern Ireland, the exclusion raises concerns about the region’s energy security and our reliance on the Republic.
“In recent years, Northern Ireland has exported much more electricity to the Republic than it imports, yet we are uniquely intertwined with the Republic through the Single Electricity Market, and security of supply issues are approached on an all-island basis.
“My concern is that this link could leave Northern Ireland vulnerable in the event of significant disruptions.
“I am calling for a comprehensive review of Northern Ireland’s energy infrastructure, which emphasises the importance of Northern Ireland’s specific needs to safeguard against future disruption.
“I recently asked the Economy Minister to detail any steps taken to ensure that the issue which affected Heathrow is not replicated here. I have been told the three airports here are not of the scale of Heathrow, and they have backup generation and alternative supply options. If I’m honest, I assume that the Chief Executive of Heathrow would have thought similarly up to 5 minutes before the catastrophe.
“However, I feel this does not offer a sufficient contingency, in the case of Northern Ireland, as if a review is deemed necessary for the likes of Heathrow, there can only be areas of improvement to be identified in a review of Northern Ireland’s key airports.
“At present, Northern Ireland is outside the scope of the formal investigation, despite the huge shared travel and energy implications. Also, I would have grave concerns that Northern Ireland is not being considered in national contingency plans.
“Our airports are vital for both the local economy and connectivity, and if such a power outage occurred similar to what happened at Heathrow, this would be hugely detrimental to Northern Ireland.
“We need to make sure we have a system in place that ensures this major infrastructure is properly maintained and regulated.”