The reality is wind and solar voltaic generated electricity has to be backed up 100% by natural gas turbine generators running at high service idle consuming 70% of the fuel of full power output, but producing little electricity in order to be a scheduled electricity provider. These are not natural gas combined cycle plants that can make use of the hot exhaust of the jet turbine to make steam for a steam cycle adding 50% efficiency. The large near instant response needed to back up large amounts of wild AC from wind and solar voltaic generated electricity does not allow the use of steam turbine which are slow to respond with common steam plants. It is likely more fuel efficient on natural gas to run a few less natural gas turbines at 85% output where they are at high efficiency and are them able to make use of steam cycle increasing efficiency 50% making all the electricity rather than to run a few more natural gas turbines at 70% fuel consumption to back up wind turbine generators. The UK doesn't appear to have self sufficient mining of natural gas. It does have or did have high quality bituminous coal. In the US with cheap natural gas the crossover break even fueling price in 2022 for a new ultra supercritical clean burning coal plant burning high BTU bituminous coal was at a natural gas price of $0.80 per million BTUs natural gas. The low cost off season wholesale price for natural gas in the US in spring 2024 was $2.50 per million BTUs. The new coal plant would be expected at a minimum to be 1/3 the fueling cost of a natural gas combined cycle plant making full use of its steam cycle. The new coal plant cost many times more to build than than NGCC plant and cost more staff to run. The cost of the coal includes its shipping costs. Its a fair cost comparison for when power companies are considering from which plants to schedule power.
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The reality is wind and solar voltaic generated electricity has to be backed up 100% by natural gas turbine generators running at high service idle consuming 70% of the fuel of full power output, but producing little electricity in order to be a scheduled electricity provider.
These are not natural gas combined cycle plants that can make use of the hot exhaust of the jet turbine to make steam for a steam cycle adding 50% efficiency. The large near instant response needed to back up large amounts of wild AC from wind and solar voltaic generated electricity does not allow the use of steam turbine which are slow to respond with common steam plants.
It is likely more fuel efficient on natural gas to run a few less natural gas turbines at 85% output where they are at high efficiency and are them able to make use of steam cycle increasing efficiency 50% making all the electricity rather than to run a few more natural gas turbines at 70% fuel consumption to back up wind turbine generators.
The UK doesn't appear to have self sufficient mining of natural gas. It does have or did have high quality bituminous coal. In the US with cheap natural gas the crossover break even fueling price in 2022 for a new ultra supercritical clean burning coal plant burning high BTU bituminous coal was at a natural gas price of $0.80 per million BTUs natural gas. The low cost off season wholesale price for natural gas in the US in spring 2024 was $2.50 per million BTUs. The new coal plant would be expected at a minimum to be 1/3 the fueling cost of a natural gas combined cycle plant making full use of its steam cycle.
The new coal plant cost many times more to build than than NGCC plant and cost more staff to run. The cost of the coal includes its shipping costs. Its a fair cost comparison for when power companies are considering from which plants to schedule power.