TODAY (November 15) is calm, dull dry and cool and UK-wide power outputs as
a percentage of our demand from wind, hydro, pumped storage and solar at
around 9 o’clock this morning were 0.72 per cent, 1.53 per cent, 0.65 per
cent and 0.77 per cent.
We do not meter solar in the in the UK, the above figure being the
Sheffield University daily estimate.
Compounding the near total absence of power from the above sources we are
exporting some 2.5GW of power to France and the Netherlands when,
routinely, we import around 3.0GW so there must be some problems with their
supplies.
To keep our lights on the UK has restarted coal fired stations which are
delivering 8.0GW (roughly four Longannets, some 18 per cent of our needs),
and gas has been ramped up to give us 25.5GW, which is 57.6 per cent of our
needs and just about all they can today give.
Given that we are progressively surrounding our coasts with huge offshore
windfarms it is clear that they too are producing next to nothing.
Today’s not-untypical example will lead some to question 2020 and the
Government target of 100 per cent renewables for Scotland.
Yet still we press on with the Beatrice wind farm, which an area the size
of Cardiff, and the £1.3 billion high voltage DC interconnector from
Spittal south of Thurso to Keith on the Moray Firth which today, among many
annually, would have been lying idle.
DB Watson,
Saviskaill, Langdales Avenue, Cumbernauld.
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