Norway’s Energy Crisis Is a Warning the UK Cannot Ignore

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No need to comment on all the misleading claims that the Telegraph made in this editorial. But this one stands out:

"At present, the only feasible solution to balance the grid during periods of low wind is to keep gas turbines on standby, ready to be fired up at enormous expense using imported gas, much of which comes from Norway via pipeline."

Actually, battery powered plants are now displacing gas peaker plants. Peaker plants kick in when the baseload can't provide enough power. The thing is, because peaker plants are drawn on intermittently, for them to be financially viable the rates they charge have to be very high. This is why battery powered peaker plants are supplanting the gas powered kind. In Texas, they are actually subsidizinge gas peaker plants to compete with battery powered ones.

 

Giant batteries drain economics of gas power plants

Giant batteries that ensure stable power supply by offsetting intermittent renewable supplies are becoming cheap enough to make developers abandon scores of projects for gas-fired generation world-wide.

The long-term economics of gas-fired plants, used in Europe and some parts of the United States primarily to compensate for the intermittent nature of wind and solar power, are changing quickly, according to Reuters' interviews with more than a dozen power plant developers, project finance bankers, analysts and consultants.

They said some battery operators are already supplying back-up power to grids at a price competitive with gas power plants, meaning gas will be used less.

https://archive.ph/PXJL3#selection-759.27-783.154

 

Since this article was written battery prices for power plants have plummeted. 

 

[Bkk Brian]

12 minutes ago, placeholder said:

No need to comment on all the misleading claims that the Telegraph made in this editorial. But this one stands out:

"At present, the only feasible solution to balance the grid during periods of low wind is to keep gas turbines on standby, ready to be fired up at enormous expense using imported gas, much of which comes from Norway via pipeline."

Actually, battery powered plants are now displacing gas peaker plants. Peaker plants kick in when the baseload can't provide enough power. The thing is, because peaker plants are drawn on intermittently, for them to be financially viable the rates they charge have to be very high. This is why battery powered peaker plants are supplanting the gas powered kind. In Texas, they are actually subsidizinge gas peaker plants to compete with battery powered ones.

 

Giant batteries drain economics of gas power plants

Giant batteries that ensure stable power supply by offsetting intermittent renewable supplies are becoming cheap enough to make developers abandon scores of projects for gas-fired generation world-wide.

The long-term economics of gas-fired plants, used in Europe and some parts of the United States primarily to compensate for the intermittent nature of wind and solar power, are changing quickly, according to Reuters' interviews with more than a dozen power plant developers, project finance bankers, analysts and consultants.

They said some battery operators are already supplying back-up power to grids at a price competitive with gas power plants, meaning gas will be used less.

https://archive.ph/PXJL3#selection-759.27-783.154

 

Since this article was written battery prices for power plants have plummeted. 

 

Has the UK got those then?

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19 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Has the UK got those then?

Yes

https://blog.upsbatterycenter.com/mega-battery-backup-keeps-uk-lights-on/

[Bkk Brian]

26 minutes ago, placeholder said:

Yes

https://blog.upsbatterycenter.com/mega-battery-backup-keeps-uk-lights-on/

That was because the  Norwegian undersea cable went from ‘hero to zero’ in the flash of a second. It tripped out. A battery bank was able to stabilize it until it went back on after 2 minutes. How is that relevant to periods of low wind? How long does the UK battery bank last to power the UK when there is no wind? Are they capable of that?

 

I am trying to identify your claim that the article is misleading. You've not provided anything to back that up.

 

Low wind at wind farms can last for several days, also referred to as wind droughts

 

58 minutes ago, placeholder said:

No need to comment on all the misleading claims that the Telegraph made in this editorial. But this one stands out:

"At present, the only feasible solution to balance the grid during periods of low wind is to keep gas turbines on standby, ready to be fired up at enormous expense using imported gas, much of which comes from Norway via pipeline."

 

[placeholder]

1 hour ago, Bkk Brian said:

That was because the  Norwegian undersea cable went from ‘hero to zero’ in the flash of a second. It tripped out. A battery bank was able to stabilize it until it went back on after 2 minutes. How is that relevant to periods of low wind? How long does the UK battery bank last to power the UK when there is no wind? Are they capable of that?

 

I am trying to identify your claim that the article is misleading. You've not provided anything to back that up.

 

Low wind at wind farms can last for several days, also referred to as wind droughts

 

 

I don't think you've read the whole article It's advocating for exploiting  the UK's natural gas resources. It makes no mention of batteries at all. This is, as I noted, misleading.