Generation and Supply
The Energy Department of the Velocity Interoperability Network is responsible for the generation and supply of electricity, gas and heat to the sites of the Velocity Interoperability Network. Five generating stations with a combined capacity of 412 megawatts serve the Network. Their output is directed from the Department's supply control room at Central Exchange to meet demand at the six principal sites and the smaller sites connected to them.
This page summarises the Department's first Generation and Supply Statement, published on 6 September 2026. The statement records the position at establishment and the demand met during the transition period from 10 August to 5 September 2026, when the stations and the control room operated under interim arrangements before their transfer to the Department.
The position at establishment. The figures below record the capacity serving the Network and the demand it met during the transition period.
- 412 MW
- Generating capacity serving the Network at establishment
- 286 MW
- Peak demand, recorded on the evening of 27 August 2026
- 37.7%
- Share of electricity supplied from renewable sources during the transition period
- 99.97%
- Supply availability across the six principal sites, 10 August to 5 September 2026
The generation mix. Of the 128.4 gigawatt hours supplied during the transition period, the shares by source were as follows. Wind, solar and hydro together supplied 48.4 gigawatt hours, a renewable share of 37.7 per cent, which is the baseline for the Renewable Programme.
- 40.6%
- Gas turbine generation at Ridgeway
- 21.7%
- Combined heat and power at Southbank
- 22.7%
- Wind, from Fenmoor Wind Array
- 15.0%
- Solar and hydro, from Eastfield, the rooftop arrays and Coldwater
Generating stations. The register below records each station serving the Network, its type and capacity, its output during the transition period and the point at which it is connected to the Network supply.
| Station | Type | Capacity | Output, 10 August to 5 September | Connection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgeway Gas Turbine Station | Combined-cycle gas turbine | 180 MW | 52.1 GWh | 132 kV, Ridgeway Switching Station |
| Southbank Combined Heat and Power Station | Gas-fired combined heat and power | 64 MW | 27.9 GWh | 33 kV, Southbank Primary Substation |
| Fenmoor Wind Array | Onshore wind, 24 turbines of 4 MW | 96 MW | 29.1 GWh | 132 kV, Fenmoor Collector Substation |
| Eastfield Solar Array and rooftop arrays | Ground-mounted solar, 36 MW; rooftop arrays at the principal sites, 12 MW | 48 MW | 8.3 GWh | 33 kV, Eastfield Primary Substation; site substations |
| Coldwater Hydro Station | Run-of-river hydro, two turbines | 24 MW | 11.0 GWh | 33 kV, Coldwater Switching Station |
| Total | 412 MW | 128.4 GWh |
Ridgeway Gas Turbine Station is the station that follows demand: its output is raised and lowered by the control room as wind and solar output varies through the day. Fenmoor Wind Array reached its full output on eleven days of the transition period. Coldwater Hydro Station ran at a steady 17 megawatts throughout, its output limited by river flow in late summer.
Demand by site. Average and peak demand at each principal site during the transition period are set out below. The Network peak of 286 megawatts occurred at 18:40 on 27 August 2026, when the peaks of Central Exchange and Southbank Terminal coincided.
| Site | Average demand | Peak demand | Share of electricity supplied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Exchange | 77 MW | 112 MW | 38.9% |
| Southbank Terminal | 33 MW | 43 MW | 16.7% |
| Northgate Relay | 28 MW | 38 MW | 14.1% |
| Westbrook Distribution Site | 25 MW | 36 MW | 12.6% |
| Eastfield Campus | 19 MW | 28 MW | 9.6% |
| Meridian Court | 8 MW | 11 MW | 4.0% |
| Other sites and network losses | 8 MW | 18 MW | 4.0% |
| Network | 198 MW | 286 MW | 100% |
The Department's responsibilities for supply. The four areas below describe how the Department keeps the Network supplied.
- Balancing generation and demand
- The supply control room at Central Exchange, staffed continuously, directs the output of the generating stations to meet demand across the Network, calls on Ridgeway to follow demand as wind and solar output varies, and holds a reserve of not less than 40 megawatts at all times.
- Security of supply
- Each principal site is connected to the Network supply through a primary substation with two transformers, either of which can carry the full load of the site. The Department maintains the connection register, schedules the maintenance of substations and lines, and reports supply availability quarterly.
- Gas and heat
- Gas is supplied to the boiler plant at each principal site and to Ridgeway and Southbank. Southbank Combined Heat and Power Station supplies heat to the Southbank Terminal heat network. The Department oversees the supply and the safety of the installations that use it.
- The Generation and Supply Statement
- The Department publishes a statement each quarter recording capacity, output and the generation mix by station, demand by site, supply availability and progress against the Renewable Programme target. The first statement, covering the transition period, is summarised on this page.
The Department will publish the Generation and Supply Statement quarterly. The next statement, covering the quarter ending 30 September 2026, will be published in October 2026 and announced in the Newsroom. For the connection points named above, see Connections; for the schedule of planned outages affecting supply, see Outages and Emergencies. Questions about the statement may be sent to contact@energy.gov.vin.