4 ms·

This is simply just factually wrong. Please show me one place that proves that high capacity factor is an issue. Just one. I am not sure where you are getting

This is simply just factually wrong. Please show me one place that proves that high capacity factor is an issue. Just one. I am not sure where you are getting your information but it's simply factually wrong. Batteries can't solve this issue as it doesn't solve seasonality. And it would be extremely extremely huge batteries needed. The cost alone would make it impossible as peak demand only happens once in a while. And then you are back to backups.

Retric 7y ago
It’s simple math, a Nuclear power plant that can produce power at 90% capacity factor at 10c/kWh can be used to produce power at a 45% capacity factor but at ~20c/kWh. In effect that high capacity factor is also a demand to maintain cost competitiveness. Granted, you can operate nuclear when the spot price is below your true cost to produce assuming it stays above your marginal price, but you now need to make up the difference. As to seasonality, demand is also seasonal, which again is bad for nuclear. Further, when sourcing wind you can locate it based on seasonal considerations. The high correlation between solar production and AC usage ends up being a useful feature not a bug.
- ThomPete 7y ago
  Name me one country that have that problem with nuclear.
  - Retric 7y ago
    France, even with massive exports and imports it still needed to curtail nuclear production on the weekends which raised prices. Most countries are wise enough not to instal significant Nuclear for this very reason.
    - ThomPete 7y ago
      France gets 75% of its energy from nuclear so no they don't have a problem. Low capacity factor is a problem not high capacity factor. Show me where it's recognized by a credible source that this is a problem.
      - Retric 7y ago
        Err no, France has 71.7% (2018) Nuclear electricity production. https://cnpp.iaea.org/countryprofiles/France/France.htm https://cnpp.iaea.org/countryprofiles/France/France.htm https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/P1756_web.pdf https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/P1756_web.pdf Away, from the IAEA which is very pro nuclear “Some Member States, such as France and Germany, have already needed to design or convert the majority of their nuclear power plants for flexible operation. Plants in those Member States have been designed or modified and have operated flexibly, and many reactor-years of experience and knowledge of flexible operation have been collected.” Page 18 adds a host of reasons why Nuclear is bad at load following. Page 25 shows just how low weekend loads get vs peak demand. Fig 13 on page 33 shows “Nuclear Load following” and that’s a direct quote. PS: Of note France also exports significantly more than it imports in part because they are so bad at load following. But even with that they still need curtailment of Nuclear power which is made worse by the large shifts in seasonal electricity demand.
        ThomPete 7y ago
        You are making my case. Where is the problem with capacity factor? You still havent provided a shred of evidence.
        Retric 7y ago
        If you want some actual number for France: In 2016 France had 63.1 GWe of nuclear capacity and they generated 403,000 GWh. 403,000 / (63.1 * 24hours * 366 leap year) = 72.7% useful capacity factor. Even with massive exports, France’s low capacity factor increased price per GWh by well over 20% vs the ~90% utilization Nuclear is generally designed for. https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-a-f/france.aspx https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-pr... PS: “have already needed to design or convert the majority of their nuclear power plants for flexible operation” This directly says nuclear power plants designed around high capacity factors where a problem which they spent money to fix.
        7y ago

Retric 7y ago

It’s simple math, a Nuclear power plant that can produce power at 90% capacity factor at 10c/kWh can be used to produce power at a 45% capacity factor but at ~20c/kWh. In effect that high capacity factor is also a demand to maintain cost competitiveness. Granted, you can operate nuclear when the spot price is below your true cost to produce assuming it stays above your marginal price, but you now need to make up the difference. As to seasonality, demand is also seasonal, which again is bad for nuclear. Further, when sourcing wind you can locate it based on seasonal considerations. The high correlation between solar production and AC usage ends up being a useful feature not a bug.

ThomPete 7y ago
Name me one country that have that problem with nuclear.
- Retric 7y ago
  France, even with massive exports and imports it still needed to curtail nuclear production on the weekends which raised prices. Most countries are wise enough not to instal significant Nuclear for this very reason.
  - ThomPete 7y ago
    France gets 75% of its energy from nuclear so no they don't have a problem. Low capacity factor is a problem not high capacity factor. Show me where it's recognized by a credible source that this is a problem.
    - Retric 7y ago
      Err no, France has 71.7% (2018) Nuclear electricity production. https://cnpp.iaea.org/countryprofiles/France/France.htm https://cnpp.iaea.org/countryprofiles/France/France.htm https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/P1756_web.pdf https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/P1756_web.pdf Away, from the IAEA which is very pro nuclear “Some Member States, such as France and Germany, have already needed to design or convert the majority of their nuclear power plants for flexible operation. Plants in those Member States have been designed or modified and have operated flexibly, and many reactor-years of experience and knowledge of flexible operation have been collected.” Page 18 adds a host of reasons why Nuclear is bad at load following. Page 25 shows just how low weekend loads get vs peak demand. Fig 13 on page 33 shows “Nuclear Load following” and that’s a direct quote. PS: Of note France also exports significantly more than it imports in part because they are so bad at load following. But even with that they still need curtailment of Nuclear power which is made worse by the large shifts in seasonal electricity demand.
      - ThomPete 7y ago
        You are making my case. Where is the problem with capacity factor? You still havent provided a shred of evidence.
        Retric 7y ago
        If you want some actual number for France: In 2016 France had 63.1 GWe of nuclear capacity and they generated 403,000 GWh. 403,000 / (63.1 * 24hours * 366 leap year) = 72.7% useful capacity factor. Even with massive exports, France’s low capacity factor increased price per GWh by well over 20% vs the ~90% utilization Nuclear is generally designed for. https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-a-f/france.aspx https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-pr... PS: “have already needed to design or convert the majority of their nuclear power plants for flexible operation” This directly says nuclear power plants designed around high capacity factors where a problem which they spent money to fix.
        7y ago