Energy supply fears as strikes halt rail freight

BRITAIN faces a squeeze on energy supplies next week as strikes disrupt shipments to power stations ahead of a looming cold snap, the freight industry has warned.

Power plants, retailers and consumers face chaos from 11 days of walkouts in the run-up to Christmas according to Rail Partners, the freight industry trade body. It warned that Drax is among UK power generators where deliveries are likely to be disrupted, although some shipments will probably still arrive even during the industrial action.

A spokesman for the North Yorkshire power station – which burns wood pellets known as biomass – insisted that generation at the plant would not be disrupted.

Rail Partners said: “The additional strike days, and those previously announced, have a significant impact on supply chains for many sectors from energy, construction, mail, containerised traffic and maintenance of the railway itself. This could be profoundly felt in the UK energy supply chain, as temperatures drop and energy supplies are stretched further, it can ill afford for over 400 weekly trains transporting fuel to face severe disruption.”

Drax, which produces 12pc of Britain’s renewable energy, said that it had enough fuel to keep running.

A spokesman said: “Drax Power Station plays a critical role in the UK energy system, generating reliable, renewable electricity at a time when the grid is under considerable pressure.

While we do not expect the planned strike action to impact the operation of the power station, we want to see a swift resolution to this dispute.”

Power stations are heavily reliant on the railways for transporting wood pellets and coal.

The railways play an even more crucial role in the run-up to Christmas in order to avoid fast-moving goods getting stuck on lorries on jammed-up motorways. A single freight train can carry the same amount of goods as 76 lorries.