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By *rFunBoy OP Man
over a year ago
Longridge |
Another interesting day..
Monday 28th Nov at 13:37
Text message arrives with supply margin alert that may not meet demand at 6pm.
Not long later at 14:10, alert cancelled, assuming additional supply has been found to cover the 6pm period - it was - from the EU.
Looking at generation and UK consumption at 18:00: Demand was 41GWh.
Wind and Solar combined was supplying 4.8% of UK power.
Gas was running at 56% supplying the usual 22GWh.
Norway, France, Belgium, Ireland and Netherlands Undersea Electricity Interconnectors, were running at full power Importing into the UK.
It seems that like last Tuesday, this evening, reliance on the EU to provide additional power was the way rationing or people being paid up to £100, like myself to cut consumption in order to reduce Grid load was avoided.
At 19:00, wind dropped to 1.6% of UK demand, Gas portion increased to 59% due to a 3GWh reduction in demand but still supplying 22GWh of power.
UK is documented at 32GWh Gas generation capacity but yet to see it over 22GWh, so either it is restrictions in Gas supply or there is just not enough generation available.
At 23:30, demand tailed off to 27GWh with Gas now supplying 70% of UK power at 19GWh with supplimential coal supply 4% pushing UK CO2 emissions higher.
So, for the second time in 6 days, supply alerts have been issued, Interconnectors have been maxed out, Wind is almost non existent that it is now starting to get colder with a forecast of High Pressure meaning foggy and still air that demand will increase on an already creaking system.
The two alerts we've seen this last 7 days weren't expected until late December/ January and not even December yet and Autumn has been relatively mild and windy.
Europe is about to get the same cold weather as we are, this means their electricity demand will also increase and is whether there is enough spare they can send our way.
This will be an interesting week.. as low Wind and Solar means a higher demand on Gas fired generation for an extended period. |
