Heathrow fire shows just how vulnerable UK energy infrastructure is – we’ve simulated the major climate-related risks

By Hayley J. Fowler, Professor of Climate Change Impacts, Newcastle University
Colin Manning, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Climate Science, Newcastle University
Sean Wilkinson, Professor of Structural Engineering, Newcastle University

London’s Heathrow Airport has been forced to close temporarily after a fire in a nearby electricity substation. More than 1,300 flights have been suspended and thousands of passengers left stranded.

Substations take high-voltage electricity from pylons and transform it into the lower voltages you use at home. This happens in a transformer filled with oil to insulate the electricity. In this case, it appears that more than 20,000 litres of this oil caught…

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