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Base load becomes very expensive under free and fair market conditions. The reason is simple: wind and PV are extremely cheap, and surplus capacity costs little
by boshomi 11mo ago
Base load becomes very expensive under free and fair market conditions. The reason is simple: wind and PV are extremely cheap, and surplus capacity costs little. PV module price in EU is just 0.086 UDS/W fob. Wind turbine price in China ~2200Yuan/kW inclusive tower.
In a free market, this leads to attractive conditions for batteries, and that is where the problem of base load begins: there is a lack of real demand, and base load then remains unused because its OPEX cannot compete with wind and PV.
There's just one problem. There is virtually no free and fair market in the electricity market. Utilities lobby very successfully for highly regulated markets to protect their monopolies. Nuclear power requires massive government protection from competition, which makes it attractive to utilities.
- tbrownaw 11mo agoThis is a prediction of the future, not an observation about the present / past like it's phrased as.
- hinkley 11mo agoWe are already cresting that hill. It’s happening now. It’s not happening everywhere, but it’s already happening.
- boshomi 11mo agono, this are real world prices https://www.infolink-group.com/spot-price/ https://www.infolink-group.com/spot-price/ https://wind.in-en.com/html/wind-2462559.shtml https://wind.in-en.com/html/wind-2462559.shtml (chinese example) BESS 5MWh 52 USD/kWh: https://www.metal.com/Battery-Cell-And-Module/202407100001 https://www.metal.com/Battery-Cell-And-Module/202407100001 Yes, electricity is becoming very cheap in China, and it will be difficult for the West to keep up here. Exorbitant US tariffs are also counterproductive, as they only serve to secure monopoly profits for old utilities.
- fellowmartian 11mo agoNuclear is attractive? Are we living on the same planet? I wish it was attractive but it’s quite obviously the opposite.
- tomrod 11mo agoIf you assume nuclear is only a 3 Mile Island waiting to happen, you're out of date.
- fellowmartian 11mo agoYou’re preaching to the choir here, I know nuclear is good and safe, but most people really don’t.