National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) has agreed a one-off contract with EDF to reduce generation from its Torness nuclear power station in East Lothian.
The company will lower the plant’s output by 200MW – or 15 per cent of its capacity – for a period of three weeks.
The ESO said the reduction was necessary to allow for essential maintenance work on the local transmission network.
To minimise disruption, the maintenance schedules for Torness and the transmission network had been arranged so they took place at the same time. However, they had to be altered due to the coronavirus lockdown, meaning the works can no longer be carried out simultaneously.
The ESO stressed that agreement was not related to reduced electricity demand as a result of the pandemic as was the case with its contract to turn down output from Sizewell B, which was extended for a second time last week.
“This is a one-off, short-term solution to work around the revised maintenance on this particular part of the transmission network and is in the best interests of consumers, ensuring continued safe and secure operation of the Scottish network,” the ESO said in a statement.