3 ms·
> Nuclear power plants are currently too expensive to not be used at 100% all the time (except when you need to perform maintenance). France has been load foll
by doikor 3y ago
> Nuclear power plants are currently too expensive to not be used at 100% all the time (except when you need to perform maintenance).
France has been load following with their nuclear plants for decades. They have to as they have so much of it. The reactors in Germany also did/do the same.
The reactors in Finland also started to do that too during this summer as we are having more and more wind (and a new 1600MW nuclear reactor) and a huge chunk is sold on the spot market (so if nobody bought your nuclear power you are not allowed to send it to the grid). Basically leaving ramping down your production as the only choice.
- _ph_ 3y agoFrance has a lot of water power which helps with balancing the grid and Germany never had more than 30% of nuclear in the mix, so basically little load following was required. Also, both countries, as most industry nations, tried hard to shape the consumption to be constant over time. Like extra cheap electricity in the night which lead to heating systems which would electrically heat up over night and dispense the heat during the day. Also, the European grid helps a lot with balancing, electricity is constantly traded and exchanged between the countries.