NI power supply was 'at risk of a single point of failure'

Northern Ireland has three fossil fuel power stations - Kilroot (pictured), Ballylumford and Coolkeeragh

Northern Ireland was "very close" to a "risk of a single point of failure" in its electricity supply, a Stormont committee has been told.

Ian Snowden, permanent secretary of the Department for the Economy (DfE), said the issue was "significant" but the region was not close to a "blackout".

Stormont's four-party executive met earlier this week to discuss the matter, he told members of the economy committee.

In an update to the assembly, Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald said she has been advised the system is now "operating as normal".

Following a four-day system alert last month, BBC News NI reported how a Northern Ireland power station may have needed an exemption from environmental rules to help guarantee electricity supplies.

This exemption has since been granted by Stormont, and the economy minister has said work would continue to "ensure that the system remains resilient".

'Unacceptable level of risk'

Northern Ireland has three fossil fuel power stations - Kilroot, Ballylumford and Coolkeeragh.

Ballylumford was damaged by Storm Darragh in December 2024.

Caoimhe Archibald said "technical challenges" at Coolkeeragh mean a large generator is expected to be offline until mid-October.

She said this meant generating units at Kilroot were reaching permitted limits set by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA).

It was determined "operating the system without the availability of Kilroot would present an unacceptable level of risk to the security of supplies", the Sinn Féin minister added.

Caoimhe Archibald says she has been advised the system is now "operating as normal"

In a statement to the assembly, she said it was therefore "necessary to increase the permitted running hours at Kilroot".

"On 30 September, the executive agreed that this was an appropriate course of action, and the operating hours permitted have been increased," the minister added.

Last month, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) told BBC News NI: "Kilroot has been granted an additional 50 hours per unit under a variation in its permit.

"Annual Run Hour Limits on Open Cycle Gas Turbines are set by NIEA in the plant's Pollution Prevention Control Permit."

A Daera spokesperson confirmed: "Minister Muir has received executive approval to permit an extension of operating hours at Kilroot to maintain security of supply."

The utility regulator added: "We can confirm that Kilroot Power Station will continue to operate within the Single Electricity Market as normal, and its generation costs will be recovered through the normal market mechanisms."

Archibald said System Operator NI (SONI) advised on Wednesday "that the system is operating as normal".

'Deep amber'

The minister's statement was issued after Mr Snowden appeared earlier that day before members of the economy committee.

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) assembly member Phillip Brett, chair of the committee, asked him: "How close were we to a blackout?".

Mr Snowden said Northern Ireland was close to "a situation where we would be relying on one power station, namely Ballylumford".

"So we weren't actually hours away, or days away, or weeks away from a blackout," he said.

"It was that we were very close to a point where we were at risk of a single point of failure."

He said it would have been a "significant risk" to be "entirely reliant on one power station".

Mr Snowden said a "deep amber" alert would then have been issued by the system operator, meaning a "significant risk to the system".

"It doesn't mean that it's imminent, but it means that it's a distinct possibility that we could be into a power failure situation," he added.

Mr Snowden said he was unsure if there was any additional cost associated with the measures taken.

Brett questioned why the committee had not been informed earlier of the problems.

"If there's an energy supply issue - you've told this committee there's been two irregular meetings of the executive in relation to concerns about energy security - I would believe that this committee should be informed of that issue," he added.