Rolling gas blackouts - how ?

[Deleted User]

How would they restrict use of gas – in the event of gas shortages ?

They are unable to switch it off for periods of time (rolling outages) due to safety reasons

If suddenly cut off with no warning – when supply is switched back on again – there is a problem of potential gas leaks from appliances without working pilot lights

Farway

Deleted_User said:

How would they restrict use of gas – in the event of gas shortages ?

They are unable to switch it off for periods of time (rolling outages) due to safety reasons

If suddenly cut off with no warning – when supply is switched back on again – there is a problem of potential gas leaks from appliances without working pilot lights

They start with industries who have agreed in advance, for a lower gas cost, that their supply could be cut if required

daveyjp

Heavy users would have to reduce use first.  Electricity generation, manufacturing such as steel, glass, non essential food.

brewerdave

Farway said:

Deleted_User said:

How would they restrict use of gas – in the event of gas shortages ?

They are unable to switch it off for periods of time (rolling outages) due to safety reasons

If suddenly cut off with no warning – when supply is switched back on again – there is a problem of potential gas leaks from appliances without working pilot lights

They start with industries who have agreed in advance, for a lower gas cost, that their supply could be cut if required

I worked at a large brewery in the 90s. We had an interruptible gas supply for the main boilers with dual fired burners (oil back up). Gas supply was chopped off a few times in very cold winters, but we always got notice from BG (as was then) a few hours in advance.
A couple of times a year we ran on oil just to test our "readiness".
We also had diesel generators which would run part of the brewery in the event of an electricity cut.

[Deleted User]

If there was a shortage which impacted on domestic consumers then it would most likely be rolling cuts of electricity. This would reduce the amount of gas needed to produce electricity. Some of us are old enough to remember the 3 day week in the 70s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-Day_Week

[Deleted User]

daveyjp said:

Heavy users would have to reduce use first.  Electricity generation, manufacturing such as steel, glass, non essential food.

So that could potentially mean electricity blackouts due to gas shortages? 

[Deleted User]

[Deleted User] said:

If there was a shortage which impacted on domestic consumers then it would most likely be rolling cuts of electricity. This would reduce the amount of gas needed to produce electricity. Some of us are old enough to remember the 3 day week in the 70s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-Day_Week

I remember the 70's blackouts 
We "lived" in my parents caravan in the front garden for several weeks
It was fun - like being in holiday 

pete-20-11

Yes.

CCGT I think is gas turbine. Showing 48% of all electric sources, at the moment, on this site: 

https://gridwatch.co.uk/

[Deleted User]

Deleted_User said:

daveyjp said:

Heavy users would have to reduce use first.  Electricity generation, manufacturing such as steel, glass, non essential food.

So that could potentially mean electricity blackouts due to gas shortages? 

When nearly 50% of electricity is gas generated then the answer has to be ‘yes’. That said, the wind should start blowing again which should reduce the amount of gas generation needed. AND the Government has said that it is 100% confident that there isn’t going to be a supply problem. It forgets that there was a crisis point in January this year.

QrizB

Deleted_User said:

daveyjp said:

Heavy users would have to reduce use first.  Electricity generation, manufacturing such as steel, glass, non essential food.

So that could potentially mean electricity blackouts due to gas shortages? 

 Despire daveyjp's comment I would not expect electricity generation to be an early choice for gas supply restrictions.

Robin9

You may have read that there is little spare capacity in the Electric Grid - made worse by the breakdown in one of the England - France links.

As above Industry gets told first by agreement - then the Grid can apply two 3% stages of voltage reductions - then the DNO will shed load in big chunks. 

Imagining that Smart meters will play a part is a fairy tale. Can you imagine the Grid ringing Eon and saying please shut down some of your Smart meters. ?

I started in the industry in the 1960's - even then we had the means of deferring off peak boosts - all at the spread of a button. I think that was a Ferranti system.