Utility Week

4 | 23RD - 29TH MARCH 2018 | UTILITY WEEK Seven days... Australian power grid 'increasingly unstable' The Australian Energy Market Com- mission says the national electricity grid is becoming more unstable, with 11 incidents in 2016/17, up from seven the year before and four the year before that. The instability is attributed to changes in the power generation mix, with thermal, synchronous generators leaving the system in favour of more renewable capacity, which can leave the grid at the mercy of the weather. The Guardian, 19 March Up to 250 jobs to go at Total in Aberdeen Up to 250 jobs are expected to go at Total in Aberdeen following its takeover of Maersk Oil. French energy company Total agreed last year to buy Maersk's oil business for £5.8 billion. Total said it was consulting with its workforce and would try to find those affected alternative jobs. Staff and contrac- tors are involved. Total said it had reviewed its operations in Aberdeen aer the acquisition. It is under- stood all the posts which are going are onshore and based in Aberdeen. BBC News, 19 March Water shortages could hit 5bn people by 2050 More than five billion people could suffer water shortages by 2050 due to climate change, increased demand and polluted supplies, according to a UN report on the state of the world's water. The comprehensive annual study warns of conflict and civilisa- tional threats unless action is taken to reduce the stress on rivers, lakes, aquifers, wetlands and reservoirs. The World Water Development Report says positive change is possible, particularly in the key agricultural sector, but only if there is a move towards nature-based solutions that rely more on soil and trees than steel and concrete. The Guardian, 19 March STORY BY NUMBERS National media Grid has 'robust' defences against cyber-attacks N ational Grid this week (18 March) said it had "robust systems" in place aer reports it had been put on high alert by security chiefs because of a growing threat of Russian cyber-attacks. Concerns are increasing about the safety of the coun- try's key energy infrastructure and supply in the face of rising hostilities between Britain and Russia over the nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter in Salisbury earlier this month. Some national media reports said National Grid was contacted by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – an arm of intel- ligence agency GCHQ – which advised it on how to increase its guard against criminally instigated power cuts. Fears are also rising about assaults on electri city and gas supplies, water firms and on the nuclear fuel processing site at Sellafield. Speaking on the BBC's The Andrew Marr Show last Sunday, foreign secretary Boris Johnson said Britain must make sure it is adequately and properly defended. He said: "When it comes to the defences of this country, we are also ensuring that we're protected against cyber-attack and attacks on our critical national infrastructure, and other such threats." He continued: "It's a threat that has changed over the last few years because cyber-attacks are a relatively new develop- ment, but we have the National Cyber Security Centre, we have fantastic preparations against such threats." When contacted by Utility Week, National Grid said the "safe and reliable supply of energy" to consumers through- out the country was its "most important job". It added: "We have robust systems in place which enable us to monitor, detect and protect our network to keep energy flowing. "We work closely with gov- ernment, industry partners and regulators to share information and intelligence to protect our network from current and future threats." SH Which? survey finds trickiest suppliers to leave An online survey of 8,397 UK energy customers by Which? revealed that Co-operative Energy, First Utility, OVO Energy and GB Energy are the trickiest energy suppliers to leave. 23% said slowness was the most common reason the switching process was difficult. 97% said switching from British Gas to First Utility was easy. 15% found it difficult paying the previous supplier. 9% said there was poor communication from the new supplier. 5% had problems setting up an account online. "All the things we're battling with, people are already addressing and solving in totally different parts of the world" Felicity Jones, a partner at renewable and energy storage consultancy Everoze, said the UK's power sector should be more outward-looking while speaking at an event on energy system innovation and governance.

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