Green, ethical, energy issues in the news

silverwhistle

michaels said:

WE seem to have had the import taps switched on recently.  I note that we always keep a min level of gas on stream even if we are curtailing wind - does this result in our price always being driven by the cost of gas generated electricity and thus means that we always then import cheaper EU electricity even if we are also curtailing wind?!

It may also be for frequency response purposes? At least gas futures are going down and stocks are very high in most countries compared with last year. There's a couple of large LNG tankers heading for the terminals but none booked in and somebody suggested they're racing to unload before the price goes down further! Let's hope that there's a new dynamic in operation.

Martyn1981

zeupater said:

michaels said:

silverwhistle said:

It's worth noting that during the crisis last year and whilst the French nuclear fleet was throwing a wobbly the UK was at full throttle importing LNG, burning gas and then exporting 5MW to help out. Substituting that 5MW by RE would be a good start.

WE seem to have had the import taps switched on recently.  I note that we always keep a min level of gas on stream even if we are curtailing wind - does this result in our price always being driven by the cost of gas generated electricity and thus means that we always then import cheaper EU electricity even if we are also curtailing wind?!

Hi

That's exactly what I've been raising for some time ... keeping even a minimum level of gas generation in the successful bidding mix raises the price for all generation - the market is easily manipulated by those participating in the bidding process for self interest, as such the market is broken ... what's even worse is that the sector regulator allows this to happen even though it is both against their core mandate and obviously bends competition legislation by effectively creating a cartel operated by energy market participants ....

Market reform is long overdue ...

HTH-Z

My bold above

Calls for reform from National Grid, but looks like squabbling between them, Ofgem and the Gov, but .... it's a start.

National Grid calls for regulation changes as profits jump to £4.6bn

National Grid has called for a bold overhaul of the UK’s electricity grid regulation to shorten the decade-long delays in connecting green projects to the energy system after reporting a jump in annual profits to almost £4.6bn.

The UK plans to run its grid entirely on clean electricity by 2035 but many renewable energy projects have been told they will need to wait until the late 2030s to provide clean power to the grid.

The National Grid chief executive, John Pettigrew, told the Guardian that the energy regulator’s grid policies were “fit for the purpose in the past, but are not fit for purpose for the future”. He called for regulatory changes that were “bold, and come at pace”.

Earlier this week the Ofgem chief executive, Jonathan Brearley, described the delays as “unacceptable” and criticised a “legacy of stalled, unviable and often highly speculative ‘zombie’ projects blocking ready-to-go solar, wind and other renewable schemes stuck behind them”.

Brearley rebuffed National Grid’s criticism of its regulation, telling an industry conference that it had “removed all barriers to National Grid investing in grid expansion and upgrades ahead of applications” through its “invest and connect policy”.

Martyn1981

Plans to convert/update an existing Scottish hydro power resource, to pumped hydro storage. This would be long term storage with figures of up to 152MW/25GWh, so nearly a week.

SSE unveils redevelopment plans for Sloy Power Station

SSE Renewables has unveiled plans to convert its 152.5MW Sloy Power Station, Britain’s largest conventional hydro power plant, into a new pumped hydro storage facility to bolster energy security and help provide the large-scale and flexible renewable energy back-up needed in a future UK net zero power system. 

Subject to final design, the converted Sloy scheme would be capable of delivering up to 25GWh of long-duration electricity storage capacity. At the flick of a switch, the converted Sloy scheme could provide firm, flexible renewable energy for up to 160 hours non-stop, enough to power around 90,000 homes for up to one week.

Coastalwatch

According to NGL website then what a broad mix of energy generation today, gas 12.6%, solar 17%, wind 23%, nuclear 21% and HVDC lines 22.4%. Admittedly it's a public holiday so demand is down on a normal weekday but it ably demonstrates the variety of sources available showing how each makes a contribution.

michaels

Coastalwatch said:

According to NGL website then what a broad mix of energy generation today, gas 12.6%, solar 17%, wind 23%, nuclear 21% and HVDC lines 22.4%. Admittedly it's a public holiday so demand is down on a normal weekday but it ably demonstrates the variety of sources available showing how each makes a contribution.

Seems interesting that we are running what is currently presumably cheapish gas at a minimum permitted level and yet it still remains cheaper for us to import electricity.  Is our generation just inherently more expensive than the continent?

paul991

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/29/weather-tracker-power-prices-dip-to-negative-in-europe-amid-clean-energy-boo
cheaper to import if its near negetive

Coastalwatch

paul991 said:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/29/weather-tracker-power-prices-dip-to-negative-in-europe-amid-clean-energy-boo
cheaper to import if its near negetive

Thanks @paul991, unfortunately the link wouldn't work for me but if there is a cost benefit then why not. I suspect this may just be the case during warmer summer months but would certainly be worth keeping an eye on over the course of a much longer period.

markin

The last letters on that link got clipped, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/29/weather-tracker-power-prices-dip-to-negative-in-europe-amid-clean-energy-boost

I spotted Finlands prices on the  nord pool website yesterday but didn't look at the rest of Europe.

michaels

michaels said:

Coastalwatch said:

According to NGL website then what a broad mix of energy generation today, gas 12.6%, solar 17%, wind 23%, nuclear 21% and HVDC lines 22.4%. Admittedly it's a public holiday so demand is down on a normal weekday but it ably demonstrates the variety of sources available showing how each makes a contribution.

Seems interesting that we are running what is currently presumably cheapish gas at a minimum permitted level and yet it still remains cheaper for us to import electricity.  Is our generation just inherently more expensive than the continent?

Perhaps the minimum 3gw gas is a prime area where we should look at using batteries/pumped storage to provide the grid response services instead and thus let gas go to zero?

Martyn1981

An article on geothermal (for leccy generation and/or space heating), but with a twist, as the more viable areas may also be ones that need greatest support.

Network of geothermal power stations ‘could help level up UK’

A network of underground geothermal plants is being touted as a way to help level up the UK after a report discovered many areas with the greatest geothermal potential lie beneath the towns and cities most in need of investment.

Areas that have been earmarked by the government as part of its levelling up agenda are about three times as likely to be rich in untapped energy from the earth, according to an academic study commissioned by No 10.