Heathrow Airport shutdown exposes risk of NET ZERO and shift to “green” energy
03/25/2025 / By Ramon Tomey
- A fire at Heathrow’s North Hyde substation caused a shutdown, stranding 220,000 passengers and sparking debate over renewable energy reliability for Net Zero goals.
- MP Richard Tice criticized Heathrow’s switch from diesel to biomass backup, calling its failure during the crisis “gross negligence.”
- The incident highlights risks of prioritizing Net Zero over proven systems, as renewable backups proved less reliable in critical infrastructure.
- Over 1,300 flights were disrupted globally, costing the aviation industry £20 million ($25.84 million) daily, likened to major crises like 9/11.
- Heathrow admitted its renewable systems supported safety-critical functions but couldn’t fully meet energy needs, underscoring challenges in transitioning to renewables.
The recent shutdown of Heathrow Airport in the British capital London has sparked a fierce debate about the viability of Net Zero climate goals, with at least one lawmaker pointing his fingers at the airport’s shift to renewable energy systems for the fiasco.
Richard Tice, Member of Parliament (MP) for the Boston and Skegness constituency, put the blame squarely on this Net Zero climate goal during an interview with GB News. The airport was shut down on March 21, following a fire at the North Hyde electric substation the prior evening. Heathrow’s sudden closure left 220,000 passengers stranded and caused global travel chaos.
“It appears that Heathrow had changed its backup systems in order to be, wait for it… Net Zero compliant. They had got rid of their diesel generators and had moved towards a biomass generator that was designed not to completely replace the grid but work alongside it,” said Tice, deputy leader of the Reform UK Party.”
“Their Net Zero compliant backup system has completely failed in its core function at the first time of asking. We know diesel generators work as backup systems. If this is correct, and I have no reason to believe it’s not, they are guilty of gross negligence of the highest order.”
The incident has raised serious questions about the reliability of green energy infrastructure in critical facilities like airports. Tice’s remarks suggest that Heathrow’s failure may be a harbinger of more disruptions to come as other airports and industries rush to meet Net Zero targets.
The MP’s criticism underscores a growing concern that the push for Net Zero is prioritizing ideological goals over practical reliability. Diesel generators, long the industry standard for backup power, are proven to work in emergencies. In contrast, Heathrow’s biomass system – designed to align with its 2022 Net Zero plan – failed to provide the necessary resilience when the substation fire knocked out the main power supply.
Heathrow’s Net Zero dilemma: Renewable energy vs. reliable infrastructure
The fallout from the Heathrow shutdown has been staggering. At least 1,357 flights were canceled, diverted or delayed, with planes rerouted to airports as far away as New York, Mumbai and Amsterdam. The disruption has been compared to the aftermath of 9/11 and the 2010 Icelandic volcanic ash cloud, with aviation consultant John Strickland describing it as a “contained version” of those crises. The financial impact is equally dire, with travel consultancy The PC Agency estimating the cost to the global aviation system at £20 million ($25.84 million) per day. (Related: Here’s what will happen if the power grid goes down (plus tips on how to survive).)
Heathrow’s management has defended its backup systems, stating that they worked “as expected” during the fire. However, the airport acknowledged that its backup generators are designed for safety-critical functions, such as landing planes and evacuating passengers, not for maintaining full operations.
“As the busiest airport in Europe, Heathrow uses as much energy as a small city,” a spokesperson for the airport said. “Therefore, it’s not possible to have backup for all of the energy we need to run our operation safely.”
This admission highlights a fundamental flaw in the Net Zero transition: The inability of renewable energy systems to match the reliability of traditional fossil fuel-based infrastructure. Julian Bray, a leading U.K. aviation expert, expressed astonishment that Heathrow relies on the U.K.’s National Grid rather than maintaining an independent emergency power supply.
“It’s not as if Heathrow is short of money – it has a substantial war chest for building the third runway,” Bray noted.
The Heathrow debacle serves as a cautionary tale for other airports and industries embracing net zero goals. While the transition to renewable energy is essential for combating climate change, the rush to implement untested systems in critical infrastructure risks catastrophic failures. The stakes are too high, and the consequences too severe, to ignore the lessons of this disaster.
Watch this clip about the fire at the North Hyde substation that caused the shutdown of Heathrow Airport.
This video is from the Cynthia’s Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.
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Tagged Under:
backup generator, biomass, climate change, Collapse, diesel generator, disaster, electricity, Green New Deal, grid collapse, Heathrow Airport, Net Zero, North Hyde substation, power, power grid, power plant fire, renewable energy, Richard Tice, shutdown, United Kingdom
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