Uk Electricity Generation, Should We Be Worried.

[butlers]

Yes ,that 6 hour figure sounds right.

I also have a feeling it could be used for " restarting" the grid" in tbe case of a systematic failure ,or at least its a back up for the back up generators

[Annie Bynnol]

   The Dinorwig and Ffestiniog schemes are overall consumers of energy. They use 10 units for every six produced. They are not a form of renewable energy but very profitable and still perform their original technical functions.

 

  The way used has changed (as coal and nuclear no longer 'need storage'),  gas is far more responsive, leaving only wind, biomass and Europe as major suppliers of 'cheap' energy. With less availability and the need to manage morning winter peaks, the need to support the ageing grid, the maximums are not the operational norms.

 

[Longcol]

44 minutes ago, Annie Bynnol said:

   The Dinorwig and Ffestiniog schemes are overall consumers of energy. They use 10 units for every six produced. They are not a form of renewable energy but very profitable and still perform their original technical functions.

 

  The way used has changed (as coal and nuclear no longer 'need storage'),  gas is far more responsive, leaving only wind, biomass and Europe as major suppliers of 'cheap' energy. With less availability and the need to manage morning winter peaks, the need to support the ageing grid, the maximums are not the operational norms.

 

Kinda begs the question - is the grid and electricity supply up to supporting the switch to electric vehicles in the timescale envisaged by HMG?

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-sets-out-path-to-zero-emission-vehicles-by-2035#:~:text=The zero emission vehicle ( ZEV,increasing to 100% by 2035.

[butlers]

The Electric Grid overloads said there is already enough capacity now  ,might have been 2022 Press release,in generation side of it

[Longcol]

14 minutes ago, butlers said:

The Electric Grid overloads said there is already enough capacity now  ,might have been 2022 Press release,in generation side of it

Hmm - not altogether convinced by the statement;

 

https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/journey-to-net-zero-stories/can-grid-cope-extra-demand-electric-cars

 

Even if we all switched to EVs overnight, we estimate demand would only increase by around 10%. So we’d still be using less power as a nation than we did in 2002 and this is well within the range the grid can capably handle.

 

Really?

 

The section asks us to find out more about the "Great Grid Upgrade" - but why do we need it if everything is "well within the range" of the capacity of the grid?

 

https://www.nationalgrid.com/the-great-grid-upgrade

 

Which all appear to be proposals....................................................

[peak4]

2 hours ago, Longcol said:

...................

 

Really?

 

The section asks us to find out more about the "Great Grid Upgrade" - but why do we need it if everything is "well within the range" of the capacity of the grid?

 

https://www.nationalgrid.com/the-great-grid-upgrade

 

Which all appear to be proposals....................................................

I would suggest that some work is to update aging infrastructure before it starts to fail, as the network has been under maintained for some time.
Also it's to add extra connectivity to existing and planned "green" renewables, such as offshore wind farms, where generator output could be limited by the present connections' capacity to the national grid

[Arthur Ritus]

Thanks to the posts and links, some  interesting and enlightening information.

I reckon we have been very close to hitting "I canae giv yer no moor captan" a few times over the last few days, we will have to see if 26.2gW of gas generation gets beaten.

It's the compound effect of various issues, loss of some nuclear due to maintenance, little wind and sun, and when europe is struggling themselves they will understandably put themselves first. 

 

I bet there were some very nervous people who are responsible for balancing out the grid, bet they got hammered last night, once the demand started to drop and wind picked up, crisis over - for now.