It does have its own generators, and they kicked in.
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Heathrow uses as much energy as a small city, so it is not possible for it to have the back-up power by itself to run its operation safely.
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A source at Heathrow said it did however have back-up options for certain key systems, but kickstarting the alternative power supplies for the whole airport took time.
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The systems need to be checked to ensure they are working properly.
A Heathrow source said its back-up diesel generators and uninterruptable power supplies in place all operated as expected.
The problem lay with the National Grid, the source said, pointing out thousands of homes had been left without power, not just the airport.
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The transformers in the substation drop the HV (275kV) down to a lower voltage (110kV).
They get very hot during this process and use [flammable] cooling oils.
I presume there is a reason to use flammable oils, but they are basically a fire waiting to happen.