Heathrow had enough power to avoid shutdown, says National Grid
Heathrow Airport ‘had enough power to avoid shutdown’ after fire
- Heathrow Airport had sufficient power from its remaining substations despite a fire causing a major power outage and flight disruptions.
- National Grid CEO John Pettigrew said two substations were always available, each capable of powering the entire airport.
- Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye previously mentioned a backup transformer failure, necessitating system shutdowns for safety and power restructuring.
- A 2014 report highlighted a vulnerability in Heathrow's power supply, but deemed on-site generation adequate for recovery.
- An investigation into the fire and a review of Heathrow's crisis management are underway.
