SSE’s thermal fleet fulfils an important function within the wider electricity market by providing reliable capacity at scale in response to market changes and events, for example periods of low rain or wind.
In the full year to 31 March 2019, an adjusted operating loss of £(22.3)m was recorded, compared with an adjusted operating profit of £107.8m, mainly reflecting a combination of cessation of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), losses at SSE’s remaining coal-fired power station at Fiddler’s Ferry in the UK, and an outage at Great Island CCGT in Ireland.
In 2019/20, subject to plant performance and the impact of the renewable energy output on the electricity system, thermal generation is currently expected to earn adjusted operating profit of around £150m, including £122m of suspended Capacity Market payments relating to contracts for the period after suspension in 2018/19 and all of 2019/20.
Flexible Thermal Generation
SSE’s CCGTs are among the most flexible on the Irish and GB electricity systems and have increasingly created value from their intra-day flexibility. This flexibility is important in supporting the transition to a low-carbon electricity system.
SSE’s thermal assets have been awarded the following capacity contracts in GB and Ireland through competitive auctions:
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