SSE Plc reportedly expects most of its gas fleet to stay open well into the 2030’s, despite CEO of Scottish utility previously stating they will be decommissioned by 2030 due to the growth in renewables.
The Government says Great Britain will retain sufficient unabated gas capacity “until well beyond 2030”, with gas moving from a frequent generator to a backup role as low-carbon flexibility develops, while the Climate Change Committee’s analysis found that 12GW of unabated gas capacity could remain in 2035, operating at an average load factor of around 10%.
The shift comes as SSE reassesses the role of its gas fleet in a weather volatile, renewables-heavy grid. While the company had previously expected some of its plants to reach the end of their operating lives by 2030, it has now indicated that most could remain available into the mid-2030s as flexible backup for periods of low renewable generation.
SSE has also secured a capacity agreement for 686MW from Keadby 1 for 2029/30.
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