Independent specialists have been tasked with probing the electrical power-supply failure which forced the closure of London Heathrow airport on 21 March.
The UK government has commissioned the National Energy System Operator – formed last year to oversee electricity and gas network planning – to investigate the power outage which heavily disrupted operations at the hub.
“We are determined to properly understand what happened and what lessons need to be learned,” says UK energy secretary Ed Miliband.
Power was lost to the airport after an off-site electrical substation fire.
The government says the investigation aims to “build a clear picture of the circumstances surrounding this incident” and support efforts to understand the country’s broader energy resilience.
Heathrow airport’s operator was able to restore operations on 22 March, and states that – as of 23 March – it is “operating a full schedule again”, with more than 1,300 planned flights.
National Energy System Operator chief executive Fintan Slye says the organisation will work with Heathrow and other parties to ensure the probe is “comprehensive”.
It expects to submit initial findings from the investigation to the UK’s department for energy security and the independent energy regular Ofgem within six weeks.
Ofgem states that it will work to ensure that steps are taken to “avoid any repeat” of an incident on the same scale, with director general for infrastructure Akshay Kaul stating that the regulator will “not hesitate to take action” if breaches of standards or licence obligations are identified.
“Heathrow is a massive airport that uses the energy of a small city,” adds UK transport secretary Heidi Alexander.
“It’s imperative we identify how this power failure happened and learn from this to ensure a vital piece of national infrastructure remains strong.”
