International Britons Paying Over $1 Billion A Year Because Grid Can't Handle Excess Power Output From Wind Farms

[Arkain2K]

Chalk this up to another First World problem.

• Most of Britain's wind farms are built up North in Scotland to take advantage of the wind coming in from the North Sea, but most of their power demand is down South in England where the bulk of the population lives.
• On their windiest days, Britain's wind farms pump out far more electricity than their outdated power grid can handle and safely transport from the North to the South, and they haven't built any large-scale energy storage facility to store that excess power either.
• British government ends up pay the wind turbine operators in the North £215,000,000 a year to turn it off rather than overloading the grid, and then pay gas-powered generators in the South another £717,000,000 to fill in the gap, while all that wind-generated power is wasted.
• That billion dollars surcharge are passed on to U.K consumers as part of the network costs section on their energy bills.

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Britons paying hundreds of millions to turn off wind turbines as network can't handle the power they make on the windiest days
By Hannah Thomas-Peter | 28 February 2023

UK consumers are paying hundreds of millions of pounds to turn wind turbines off because the grid cannot deal with how much electricity they make on the windiest days.

The energy regulator Ofgem has told Sky News it is because the grid is "not yet fit for purpose" as the country transitions to a clean power system by 2035.

The National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO), which is responsible for keeping the lights on, has forecast that these "constraint costs", as they are known, may rise to as much as £2.5bn per year by the middle of this decade before the necessary upgrades are made.

The problem has arisen as more and more wind capacity is built in Scotland and in the North Sea but much of the demand for electricity continues to come from more densely populated areas in the south of the country.

In order to match supply and demand, the National Grid has to move electricity from where it is being made to where it is needed.

But at the moment there aren't enough cables between Scotland and England to do that.

There is one major undersea cable off the west coast of the UK, and two main junctions between the Scottish and English transmission networks on land.

This bottleneck means that when it is very windy there is actually too much electricity for these cables to handle without risking damage.

And because we can't store excess renewable energy at the necessary scale yet, the National Grid Electricity System Operator has no option but to ask wind generators to turn off their turbines.

According to analysis by energy technology company Axle Energy, using publicly available data from the electricity system's balancing market platform Elexon, in 2022 the National Grid spent £215m paying wind generators to turn off, reducing the total amount generated by 6%, and a further £717m turning on gas turbines located closer to the source of demand, in order to fill the gap.

These costs are eventually passed to UK consumers as part of the network costs section on energy bills.

Constraint costs are not just restricted to clean, cheap wind power.

In order to balance the system, the National Grid pays fossil fuel generators to ramp production up and down when necessary too.

But there is a particular focus on the impact of increasing levels of variable renewable generation and how that can be best managed.

'A huge risk - and a waste'

Director of policy for the renewable industry group RenewableUK, Ana Musat, told Sky News her members have been calling for upgrades to the grid for years.

She is now concerned the lack of transmission capacity may jeopardise the government's promise to decarbonise power generation by 2035 and get to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

She said: "It's a huge risk. We're wasting power instead of exporting it or using it and this is really cheap power that we're wasting.

"And I would also say as an investment signal, it's not great.

"If you think about a developer that wants to build wind farms in the UK, they know that it's not easy to connect to the transmission system, they know there's not enough capacity.

"So it's a really huge non-financial barrier that we're seeing and it's a big deterrent."

The energy department and Ofgem recognise the problem.

They recently set out joint plans to "overhaul" underwater and onshore transmission networks to connect up to 50GW of offshore wind to the grid by 2030, including two new undersea cables between Scotland and England that have already been approved.

But in a statement to Sky News an Ofgem spokesperson admitted the grid was not yet "fit for purpose".

They said: "Consumers must not pay the price for any foot dragging on net zero.

"Our transmission and distribution networks are not yet fit for purpose in getting secure, affordable and cleaner electricity to every part of the country.

"That's why we're investing in and overhauling electricity networks so we reach net-zero power at the lowest cost to consumers.

"We're speeding up planning reforms and regulatory approvals to increase network capacity rapidly.

"We're doubling investment by 2028 in expanding local grids to handle millions of new electric vehicles and heat pumps - plus improving energy security by increasing electricity storage; stripping out network congestion and stronger connections with other countries."

The National Grid ESO has set out plans for a £50bn 'Holistic Network Design' that would connect more wind power to the grid by 2030.

But it also has to manage congestion on the grid using the infrastructure that exists, and is already working on schemes to reduce costs around the transmission bottleneck between Scotland and England.

In a statement they told Sky News: "As Great Britain's electricity system operator, we operate the system in the most cost effective way for the consumer, keeping capital costs as low as possible.

"Like many system operators across the world we make constraint payments when it is more economical to temporarily reduce wind output, for example, than build expensive new infrastructure.

"We constantly analyse constraint costs versus the building of new assets and are working with industry to reduce the impact of network constraints whilst building a greener system.

The Department for Energy and Net Zero is also increasing funding and encouraging private investment in grid scale battery storage and the development of green hydrogen production using excess renewable energy, as well as delivering more nuclear power to help compensate for the variability of renewable power.

https://news.sky.com/story/britons-...power-they-make-on-the-windiest-days-12822156

 

[fungi]

 

[cincymma79]

That blows

 

[aries]

Chalk this up to another First World problem.

Most of Britain's wind farms are built up North in Scotland to take advantage of the wind coming in from the North Sea, but most of their power demand is down South in England where the bulk of the population lives. On their windiest days, Britain's wind farms pump out far more electricity than their outdated power grid can handle and safely transport from the North to the South, and they haven't built any large-scale energy storage facility to store that excess power, so the British government ends up pay the wind turbine operators in the North £215,000,000 a year to turn it off, and then pay gas-powered generators in the South another £717,000,000 to fill in the gap, while all that wind-generated power is wasted.

These costs are eventually passed to UK consumers as part of the network costs section on energy bills.

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Britons paying hundreds of millions to turn off wind turbines as network can't handle the power they make on the windiest days
By Hannah Thomas-Peter | 28 February 2023




https://news.sky.com/story/britons-...power-they-make-on-the-windiest-days-12822156

The big shit in the soup is the fact that they are paying those prices at the price of the most expensive electricity generation price in the UK market.... at the price of fossil fuel generated electricity! I shit you not! It's a fucking con. Designed to give weight to stories like this which are pure bullshit.

It's clear there are three massive problems when you cut to through the crap. We need better energy storage investment, better energy transport system investment and to reframe how energy is costed. Why would companies be inclined to generate clean energy when it's far more profitable (because of the system) to generate dirty energy?

All this article highlights, if you can get past the propaganda knee jerk brainless reaction, is that we aren't properly investing in renewable energy to make it actually work. Put in the investment and it will pay us all dividends, cheaper cleaner energy. People really need to start using their fucking brains to see through the bullshit.

If you are going to do a job, do it properly. Half -assing things like this just waste money. Would you spend a fortune on a super efficient heating system for your house and then just leave all the single pane windows and drafty gaps under the doors, and then complain the heating system was a waste of money? FFS

 

[SakurabasEar]

I would say they need to build a storage facility, asap. Unless there's some technical issues that I'm not aware of

 

[aries]

I would say they need to build a storage facility, asap. Unless there's some technical issues that I'm not aware of

That's one of the biggest factors. The other is that the renewable energy in the UK is costed at the same price as the most expensive generated energy i.e. fossil fuels. No wonder energy companies have little incentive to produce cleaner energy when it means less profit.

 

[wlu.29]

Didn't they think of this before they designed and build?

 

[HockeyBjj]

I have been bitching about the grid infrastructure, not just the generation abilities (wether that’s fossil fuel, nuclear, or renewables) for so damn long.

In America to hit these EV targets they have by 2050 we’ll need 40% more power generation. And that won’t mean shit if we can't move that to the end users on our existing structure

 

[HockeyBjj]

I would say they need to build a storage facility, asap. Unless there's some technical issues that I'm not aware of

Batteries are still way way too expensive to be practical on a large scale. That’s the major issue.

Some generational breakthrough, not just a better lithium ion battery, will need to happen to enable storing wind or solar energy for usage at night or non windy days at a power generation level.

 

[spamking]

Some folks who own land next to my brother's place are planning to lease their land to a company that builds wind turbines. It gets windy in Oklahoma but some parts of the state (western) stay way more windy than others.

 

[Goatenstein]

I thought all the ecoterrorists had EVs to charge.

 

[Arkain2K]

I would say they need to build a storage facility, asap. Unless there's some technical issues that I'm not aware of

They are literally decades behind on battery tech.

Britishvolt, the only British battery start-up, was launched in 2019 and went bankrupt last month:

Britishvolt: UK battery start-up collapses into administration
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-64303149

Luckily, its remnants was purchased this week by an Australian battery company owned and operated by an American investment fun who plans to keep it going, so there's still a possibility of a British-made energy storage facility being built years from now.

Britishvolt bought by Australian firm Recharge Industries
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-64754879

Plan to build UK’s first battery gigafactory falls out of British hands
https://www.teslarati.com/britishvolt-buyout-recharge-industries-u-k-battery-manufacturing/

https://thenextweb.com/news/plan-to-build-uks-first-battery-gigafactory-out-of-british-hands

Australian firm completes takeover of Britishvolt
https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/australian-firm-completes-takeover-britishvolt-040454734.html

May be during the mean time they should use that billion dollars to pay Tesla to build them a giant battery like Australia did, rather than flush that money down the drain every year.

Australia switches on Victoria Big Battery powered by Tesla Megapacks
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/08/aus...a-big-battery-powered-by-tesla-megapacks.html

 

[oldshadow]

Not surprisingly the government (any government) comes at this backwards and dumb as shit.

 

[SandisLL]

Batteries are still way way too expensive to be practical on a large scale. That’s the major issue.

Some generational breakthrough, not just a better lithium ion battery, will need to happen to enable storing wind or solar energy for usage at night or non windy days at a power generation level.

Pumped storage hydroelectric power plants are during 60 years well known solution.

While ofc this requires certain area suitable to build these.


As for shut off wind generators does have safety mechanisms enabling to switch them off and disconect from grid....
It is casual basic requirement from grid operators: each turbine does have minimal wind speed when it start up and max when it switches off in too huge storm etc.
It was casual stuff even 23 years ago...

 

[HockeyBjj]

May be during the mean time they should use that billion dollars to pay Tesla to build them a giant battery like Australia did, rather than flush that money down the drain every year.

Australia switches on Victoria Big Battery powered by Tesla Megapacks
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/08/aus...a-big-battery-powered-by-tesla-megapacks.html

No, those Tesla Megapacks are basically a scam. They're exceedingly expensive, have a 15 year life span, and this all they can do:

In those situations, the big battery should be able to power more than 650,000 homes for an hour.

Whoop di do. That isn't gonna prevent any sort of grid sag blackout during high power draw times when the actual generation isn't there

 

[Wadtucket]

Greta blowing her wad

 

[650lb Sumo]

Greta blowing her wad

https://ru.euronews.com/green/2023/...are-an-unacceptable-violation-of-human-rights

Greta has been twice detained, and carried away by police in Oslo for demanding the removal of 151 wind turbines from reindeer pastures used by Sami herders in central Norway.

 

[Dan O]

That is hilarious. What a solid grift.

 

[The Big Yin]

Old news.

I've had dozens of them near me for what must be 10+ years and they seem to be turned off most of the time for (insert reason here) Every time they were built locals complained about them being an eyesore, lost the objection obviously, then had salt rubbed in the wounds as the fucking things sat idol.

National media are only moaning now because the rest of the energy sector is on its knees. I'm sure Tony Blair will ride to the rescue with some soylent green organic. Matter furnaces or something

 

[Arkain2K]

Get that energy storage and grid upgrade going and the U.K wouldn't need to import natural gas one day.

UK renewables produced enough electricity to ‘power every UK home’ through the winter, analysts say
Analysts say producing more clean energy saves the UK from importing and burning more gas

British-based renewables generated more electricity than gas this winter and produced enough to power every UK home through the winter, analysis has shown.

Between 1 October and 28 February, power generated by wind, hydro and solar reached 47TWh (terawatt hours), according to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).

Generating the same amount of electricity using gas power stations would have required around 95TWh of gas – equal to 110 tankers of liquified natural gas (LNG) or the amount more than 10 million UK homes would burn over the winter.

Renewably-produced electricity this winter has displaced more than a third of the UK’s entire annual gas demand for power generation, the analysts said.

Without it, the UK would have had to burn more gas which would have potentially increased net gas imports by more than 22 per cent, including gas imported via pipeline.

Jess Ralston, head of energy at ECIU, said: “We’re seeing the old electricity system give way to the new, with renewables becoming the backbone and displacing more and more gas.

“Battery storage is ramping up faster than expected, boosting the UK’s energy security and leaving us less exposed to international gas markets.

“Lifting the ban on the onshore wind will help. But with the US and the EU going gangbusters for renewables, eyes are on the Government, the Chancellor and the Budget to decide on how the UK stays an attractive market for the investments that will ultimately bring down bills.”

On Monday, Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps met his US counterpart Jennifer Granholm in London and said he wants to commit the UK to greater energy independence through nuclear and renewables.

Mr Shapps and Ms Granholm want to wean Western countries off Russian oil and gas to undermine Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

They said the huge rise in gas prices after the Russian invasion has shown the need to speed up the move away from fossil fuels.

Emma Pinchbeck, Energy UK’s chief executive, said “we must do everything possible” to encourage and speed up investment in low-carbon power.

She added: “This analysis confirms the ever-growing contribution that homegrown renewable generation is making to power our homes and our businesses.

“We’ve seen the effect that record wholesale gas prices have had on customers’ bills over the last 18 months and it’s underlined the urgency of expanding our supply of cheap, domestic, clean power in order to remove our dependency on expensive fossil fuels – which will strengthen the country’s energy security, cut bills and emissions and boost economic growth.”

In 2022, UK renewables provided 38 per cent of the country’s electricity generation, nearly as much as gas at 40 per cent, and became a net electricity exporter for the first time since 2010.

Most clean energy in the UK comes from wind power which is most productive during the winter when winds are stronger.

Other sources of generation, including nuclear and biomass, generated 28TWh over the winter period, the ECIU analysts said.

Using gas power plants instead would have required 56TWh more gas, equivalent to almost five million homes’ annual gas demand or more than 60 LNG tankers.

Battery storage is also set to grow 14-fold with the storage pipeline having increased by five times in the last year.

Europe’s largest grid-scale battery storage facility came online in 2022 and the UK’s pumped hydro storage capacity is set to rise by 130 per cent to 6.5GW.

The UK is still heavily dependent on gas. It supplies 40 per cent of our power and 85 per cent of our heating and UK households have been badly hit by rising gas prices because they are the least energy efficient in western Europe, according to the International Monetary Fund.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-renewable-energy-electricity-winter-b2292542.html