3 ms·
Right now it’s generating less power than Solar - in the depth of winter, 8% Gas is 50% higher at 12% and that doesn’t include the gas usage in keeping homes w
by midasuni 3y ago
Right now it’s generating less power than Solar - in the depth of winter, 8%
Gas is 50% higher at 12% and that doesn’t include the gas usage in keeping homes warm
Wind (32%) imports and nuclear are all higher than gas for the electricity generation, let alone imported wood generation.
- ricardo81 3y agoIt's not ideal to compare at any point in time. It's a clear day (and midday), not long after a storm has passed generating record levels of wind energy - during a national holiday when demand is always low (and prices often go into negative territory) I'm not disagreeing what'll be the next impact, just saying Drax and biomass is perhaps worth more than the statement of it being 'small impact'.
- midasuni 3y agoIn 2022 biomass was 5% https://www.edie.net/what-did-the-uks-electricity-generation-mix-look-like-in-2022/ https://www.edie.net/what-did-the-uks-electricity-generation...
- ricardo81 3y agoIt is worth bearing in mind that it can be seen as stored energy that can be used at any point in time, unlike wind and solar. In other words, 5% as an average means it's far higher during periods lacking light and wind. Solar is down as 4.4%, though in peak Summer during the day it can satisfy about a 1/4 of demand, cheaply.
- midasuni 3y agoIt’s not clear if solar includes reduced demand from rooftop solar, or just grid connected solar Either way 5% is a tiny amount. biomass is also far better than gas for those times when you do need to boost supply, so increasing biomass still seems like a win.
- ricardo81 3y agoagreed. It can seem counter-intuitive with biomass since it's "burning trees", but generally it's a carbon neutral process or far closer to one than burning buried fossil fuels.