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When the grid goes dark
4/2/2026
8 min read
Feature
Failure of the power system on a national scale is the stuff of nightmares for business and domestic consumers alike – a potential crisis for which there has to be a plan. The onus on re-booting – the so-called black start (BS) after a total or partial shutdown – has rested largely on coal and gas turbine stations. Now, as the UK seeks to wean itself off fossil fuels, there’s a drive to see what role renewables, notably offshore wind, can play, writes Andrew Mourant.
Events across the Iberian Peninsula last year underlined that major blackouts are a palpable threat. Spain relies on wind and solar for more than 50% of its electricity, but renewables technology wasn’t up to the job of effecting BS when the system shut down. It was a sharp reminder of the need to make progress.
In the UK, hydro generators would be a first port of call in the event of a massive outage. They can restart without grid support, generating electricity to send to the grid and helping power up gas power stations and wind farms. But what role can wind farms themselves play?
A glimpse of their potential became clear from trials conducted in 2021 at Dersalloch wind farm, South Ayrshire. There, Scottish Power Renewables (SPR) achieved what it claims is a global first – using energy from a 69 MW site comprising 23 turbines to re-energise part of the grid. This, claims SPR, proved the concept: that wind power can restore a blacked-out section of the transmission network.