Chaos at Heathrow Airport can be blamed on the drive for net zero by successive governments, according to Reform UK MP Richard Tice.
Speaking on GB News, Tice said Heathrow has changed its backup electrical systems to reach green targets and the decision has now come back to bite them.
Heathrow Airport has denied the claims, saying they are fundamentally untrue.
The airport will be closed all day Friday after a fire at an electrical substation near by that supplies it with power.
Passengers have been told not to travel “under any circumstances” until it reopens with “significant delays” expected.
Richard Tice said net zero is to blame for today's travel misery
GB NEWS / PA
Tice said on the People’s Channel: “Critical infrastructure like that obviously needs a backup and I can exclusively reveal to you this morning that Heathrow changed its backup systems to be net zero compliant.
“It got rid of their diesel generators and moved to a biomass generator which was designed not to completely replace the grid, but work alongside the grid.
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Richard Tice joined Stephen Dixon and Anne Diamond on GB News
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“Their net zero compliant backup system has completely failed in its core function at the first time of asking. It beggar’s belief.”
Tice has long called for net zero to be scrapped and his cries appear to have gained momentum with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch admitting the 2050 target is “impossible”.
The Reform MP said today’s dramatic turn of events are further proof of his claims.
“It just proves what I have been saying for some time. Net stupid zero has the most catastrophic consequences”, he said.
Heathrow Airport has been closed for the day GBN“This has now affected transport and hundreds of thousands all over the world. It is a complete failure of common sense.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. 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.”
A statement from Heathrow Airport reads: "We have multiple sources of energy into Heathrow. But when a source is interrupted, we have back up diesel generators and uninterruptable power supplies in place, and they all operated as expected.
"Our back up systems are safety systems which allow us to land aircraft and evacuate passengers safely, but they are not designed to allow us to run a full operation. As the busiest airport in Europe, Heathrow uses as much energy as a small city, therefore it’s not possible to have back up for all of the energy we need to run our operation safely.
"We are implementing a process which will allow us to redirect power to the affected areas, but this is a safety critical process which takes time and maintaining safety remains our priority, so we have taken the decision to close the airport for today.
At least 1,351 flights to and from the west London airport could be cancelled today according to flight tracking website Flightradar24.
The fire at the substation in Hayes has affected more than just the airport in the local area with more than 4,900 homes without power and 150 people evacuated from surrounding properties.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
The London Fire Brigade has confirmed the blaze is now under control.
"Our fire investigators will begin their investigation and we will continue working closely with our partners to minimise disruption and support the community," the statement adds.
