Green, ethical, energy issues in the news

Netexporter

Looks like the Grid likes to keep about 2.5GW to 3.5GW of FF's running.

They need to keep a certain amount of plant spinning to provide the inertia requires to stabilise grid frequency. Also, the gas plants could be quickly cranked up in the case of a nuke tripping out, or some other anomaly. Wind turbines don't provide any inertia because they are decoupled from the grid by inverters (also solar and HVDC interconnectors).

QrizB

Martyn1981 said:

Wind must be close to a new record. Currently showing about 21.5GW, with the record at 21.62GW. But, demand will now be rising, so that may minimise any curtailment, and allow a bit more. Looks like the Grid likes to keep about 2.5GW to 3.5GW of FF's running.

We dropped below 2.5GW of gas briefly this afternoon, but always above 2GW, per Drax Electric Insights. At the time that was 6.25% of demand.

I don't think I've seen it that low before? The non-generating grid stability projects must be paying off!

Coastalwatch

QrizB said:

Martyn1981 said:

Wind must be close to a new record. Currently showing about 21.5GW, with the record at 21.62GW. But, demand will now be rising, so that may minimise any curtailment, and allow a bit more. Looks like the Grid likes to keep about 2.5GW to 3.5GW of FF's running.

We dropped below 2.5GW of gas briefly this afternoon, but always above 2GW, per Drax Electric Insights. At the time that was 6.25% of demand.

I don't think I've seen it that low before? The non-generating grid stability projects must be paying off!

Non-generating stability projects. Would those be batt storage, pumped hydro, compressed air tech etc?

QrizB

Coastalwatch said:

QrizB said:

Martyn1981 said:

Wind must be close to a new record. Currently showing about 21.5GW, with the record at 21.62GW. But, demand will now be rising, so that may minimise any curtailment, and allow a bit more. Looks like the Grid likes to keep about 2.5GW to 3.5GW of FF's running.

We dropped below 2.5GW of gas briefly this afternoon, but always above 2GW, per Drax Electric Insights. At the time that was 6.25% of demand.

I don't think I've seen it that low before? The non-generating grid stability projects must be paying off!

Non-generating stability projects. Would those be batt storage, pumped hydro, compressed air tech etc?

The ones I'm aware of use spinning mass from converted thermal power plants

Example:

https://www.nationalgrideso.com/news/deeside-power-station-begins-world-first-power-system-stability-contract-national-grid-eso

Under the terms of the stability contract, awarded in January 2020, the two gas turbines will provide the grid with support services including inertia and reactive power, which helps to keep the electricity system running at the right frequency to reduce the risk of power cuts. The steam generators and turbine will remain in preservation.

It will achieve this through using a small amount of power from the grid to spin the rotors and provide stability. This service was traditionally a by-product of the kinetic energy in the spinning parts of large traditional power stations.

Edit: the article also points to other technologies:

Deeside is the latest a line of developments triggered by the ESO’s pathfinder contracts which are offering stability services to the grid. Welsh Power is installing a synchronous condenser and flywheel at its site at Rassau in Ebbw Vale. Statkraft is developing two “Greener Grid Parks” in Liverpool and Keith, Scotland, and Drax has begun providing inertia through its Cruachan hydroelectric pumped storage plant.

Netexporter

Coastalwatch said:

QrizB said:

Martyn1981 said:

Wind must be close to a new record. Currently showing about 21.5GW, with the record at 21.62GW. But, demand will now be rising, so that may minimise any curtailment, and allow a bit more. Looks like the Grid likes to keep about 2.5GW to 3.5GW of FF's running.

We dropped below 2.5GW of gas briefly this afternoon, but always above 2GW, per Drax Electric Insights. At the time that was 6.25% of demand.

I don't think I've seen it that low before? The non-generating grid stability projects must be paying off!

Non-generating stability projects. Would those be batt storage, pumped hydro, compressed air tech etc?

As fossil fuel generating is phased out I think there will have to be a considerable amount of flywheel storage built, to provide the physical inertia required to maintain frequency stability. I notice they are co-locating flywheel storage with grid-scale battery storage, presumably to iron out the spikes when the batteries go into discharge mode.

I think the weights in old mine shafts storage will also play a role in frequency stabilisation.

Coastalwatch

Thanks @QrizB, while being aware of spinning masses etc I hadn't appreciated the project you highlighted coming on stream during this year so thanks for that. It may have contributed to the sudden drop in value of some battery storage projects by reducing the grids dependency upon them. So another tool of necessity in the renewable toolbox perhaps. Glad to read of it's success even if it has caused consternation amongst the Energy Storage Network because of the reduction in their uptake with some 80% of their capacity seemingly idle as a result so not good for encouraging investment in an area desperately needed if the grid is to achieve net zero.

Thanks @Netexporter it would seem to be the case, re flywheel capacity and great that they are utilising existing apparatus. However, I had wondered why storage batts were seemingly ignored when they are capable of responding to capacity issues in millisecs be it via charging or discharging!

I almost mentioned Gravitricity, amongst others, in the original post so it would appear there are many options on offer/trial to help us on our way. But of course scale of generation is the primary concern hence the desparate need to build out Wind, Solar, tidal/wave and even geothermal as currently being tested in Cornwall. While Iceland have an abundance of it I'm comforted that we have to drill down somewhat further before coming across sufficient heat.

Coastalwatch

An interesting development which hopefully ensures these are built to suitable thermo standards requiring a low energy input rather than just being a gimmick to sell at elevated cost. Presumably in planning a build of 50k then cost benefits simply due to it's scale should arise if thought through carefully from the outset.

Octopus partnership to build energy bill-free homes

Octopus has partnered with housebuilder The Hill Group to develop 89 homes with no energy bills for a minimum of five years in Essex.

The houses will be equipped with a number of low-carbon technologies, including heat pumps, solar panels, and home storage batteries. The combined capacity of these technologies is set to exceed the energy requirements of each home and will be integrated and optimised by Octopus’ Kraken platform.

Built at Hollymead Square in Newport Essex, the properties will include two to five bedroom houses and two bedroom bungalows, with residents guaranteed to pay no energy bills for a minimum of five years.

Of the 89 houses, 64 will be sold to the open market with 25 set aside for affordable rent and shared ownership by the social housing provider, Clarion House Group.

Earlier this year, Octopus began building three ‘zero bills’ homes in Stafford in the West Midlands, to go to market this month. The energy company said it hopes to have built 50,000 zero bills homes globally by 2025.

https://www.current-news.co.uk/octopus-partnership-to-build-energy-bill-free-homes/

Martyn1981

I believe (dangerous assumption time), that large battery deployments can or will be able to offer frequency inertia like roles. I think Tesla's Megachargers call it VMM, or virtual machine mode. Obviously this won't be actual inertia like steam turbines or fly-wheels*, but the ability to emulate it.

Early days, so please don't think this is a solution today.

*Edit - Speaking of flywheels, I seem to recall the UK (5yrs+ ago) installing a very powerful one, but with surprising power/energy stats. Something like 1MW/20kWh, if memory serves.




On other news, with my OCD on overdrive, National Grid ESO have announced 'a maybe' new wind record of 'maybe' 21.8GW today.

Edit ...... DOH!  Should have checked the news first, just seen this article

Wind turbines generate more than half of UK’s electricity amid Storm Pia

Windfarms generated 21.8 gigawatts (GW) of electricity between 8am and 8.30am on Thursday, according to RenewableUK, a not-for-profit renewable energy trade association, citing figures from National Grid’s electricity system operator (ESO).

This beat the previous record of 21.6GW set on 10 January. Wind generated 56% of Britain’s electricity, although this fell short of the record percentage of electricity generated from wind in a half-hour period, which was 69% on 19 November this year.

silverwhistle

The SSE pumped storage development at Coire Glas will probably be big enough to provide both diurnal damping as well as frequency support and black start capability, so both generation and stability.

Progress is steady but slow as it is with Viking, so I do wonder how closely all the wind and storage schemes are linked. There are some massive investments going on and there must be a fair bit of concern as to how some of the schemes will pay for themselves.

Martyn1981

QrizB said:

Martyn1981 said:

Wind must be close to a new record. Currently showing about 21.5GW, with the record at 21.62GW. But, demand will now be rising, so that may minimise any curtailment, and allow a bit more. Looks like the Grid likes to keep about 2.5GW to 3.5GW of FF's running.

We dropped below 2.5GW of gas briefly this afternoon, but always above 2GW, per Drax Electric Insights. At the time that was 6.25% of demand.

I don't think I've seen it that low before? The non-generating grid stability projects must be paying off!

I think FF's have gone even lower recently in the region of 2.1GW to 2.4GW. And bio-mass is low too. I suppose there is still about 5GW of nuclear spinning steam turbines, but these numbers do seem low (to me).

I assume there's a fair bit of wind curtailment, due to low demand. Wind went from 20GW yesterday to 15GW overnight, back to 20GW.

Time to get my batts.