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UK FIRES-UP COAL POWER PLANTS AS EUROPEAN GAS SHORTAGES WORSEN
“Englands green Land” has been disturbed by the firing-up of a dirty old coal power plant this week, as failing renewables, poor planning, and drastically reduced gas supplies are crippling the nation’s electricity needs.
As the BBC puts it: “still autumn weather has meant wind farms have not generated as much power as normal, while soaring prices have made it too costly to rely on gas.”
And as a result, and denting the government’s commitment to completely phase out coal power by 2024, the UK’s National Grid asked EDF to fire-up the West Burton A power plant to cope with demand.
But what demand…? We’re in early September…? The weather is fine, and temperatures are comfortable — the implications for the upcoming winter, which is predicted to be brutal, is unclear?
The BBC lists this article under “climate change”, but the reasons they site for the gas shortages contradict this: “Across Europe, shortages and increased demand from Asia have seen the cost of gas increase to the highest level on record … A cold start to the year meant countries across the continent dipped into their gas reserves.”
Europe and Asia’s record cold winter AND spring (SW England was suffering sub-freezing lows in May) is behind the recent shortages, and even the BBC this much.
Europe as a whole is in the same boat — the gas supply crunch will impact homes and businesses across the continent, with failing renewables boosting the use of fossil fuel-fired generation.
This in turn has driven the price of coal up more than 70% this year, and will increase the cost of pollution in Europe, according to bloomberg.com.
Rising natural gas prices are also fueling inflation and are threatening to stall economic recoveries as energy-intensive industries from fertilizer to steel may need to curb output.
This is a serious concern for the health of the global economy and the stock markets.
Higher energy prices will start feeding into bills
Natural gas in Europe costs the equivalent of more than $100/barrel
“The problem hasn’t even started yet,” said Julien Hoarau, the head of EnergyScan, the analytics unit of French utility Engie SA.
“Europe will face a very tight winter.”
Russia isn’t exactly helping the situation, limiting flows at a time when Asia (namely China) is scooping up cargoes of liquefied natural gas that would otherwise be headed to Europe.
By Electroverse: 07-09-2021.
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Nederland zit in dezelfde gas tekort situatie voor de komende koude winter 2021/2022, met wellicht één Elfstedentocht zonder Corona????
M.v.g. Ronald