(Adnkronos) – It was ”a catastrophic failure” at the North Hyde electrical substation, which supplies electricity to Heathrow, that caused the serious fire that on March 21 paralyzed Europe’s busiest London airport for about 16 hours. This was established by an investigation into the failure, which affected over 270,000 passengers and about 1,300 flights, ”most likely” originating from moisture penetrating the equipment.
The investigation also reveals that the failure could have been avoided, twice, by National Grid, the owner of the substation. The first time in 2018, when a higher than expected moisture level was detected in oil samples, foreshadowing “imminent failure and the need to replace the bushing”. The National Energy System Operator’s report states that the appropriate responses to such a serious problem “were not implemented” even in 2022, when basic maintenance was postponed and ”the situation was not addressed”.
