SSEN Transmission welcomes RIDG / RUK “Charging the Wrong Way” report

We welcome the publication of RIDG and Renewable UK’s “Charging the Wrong Way” report today, highlighting the stark anomalies in how electricity generators access the GB market compared to those in Europe.

The report finds that on average, EU generators pay £0.46 per megawatt hour (MWh) in transmission system charges, compared to £6.42/MWh in Scotland, spiking to £7.36/MWh in the north of Scotland, with operators in Germany, France and the Netherlands able to export energy significantly cheaper than projects in the UK, because they pay very low transmission charges, or none at all.

Commenting on the paper’s publication, Andrew Urquhart, Head of Whole System at SSEN Transmission states:

“It’s great to see further detailed analysis on the stark reality of transmission charging in the north of Scotland compared to other areas in GB and Europe. Our generation customers and wider stakeholders have been consistently telling us that charges for transmission access in the north of Scotland, as well as uncertainty about future charges, are acting as a barrier to the commercial viability of renewable energy projects.

“Following the publication of our TNUoS discussion paper earlier this year, and TNUoS stakeholder feedback paper earlier this month (which showed that over 90% of our stakeholders support the case for reform) we hope that RIDG and RUK’s analysis will continue to build upon and widen the debate on charging; highlighting the need for urgent change in the context of net zero delivery.”