The energy thread

[Skybird]

The antithesis to Germany: while Germany has shut down its last three nuclear power plants, a new nuclear reactor has come online in Finland, albeit 12 years late. All tests have been completed and regular electricity production has begun. It is the third reactor at the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant in southwestern Finland and is expected to cover 14 percent of the country's electricity production, according to TVO.

The Olkiluoto 3 reactor was built by the German-French consortium Areva-Siemens, and construction began in 2005. At 1600 megawatts, it is the most powerful nuclear reactor in Europe. Together with the two older reactors, the Olkiluoto NPP now produces "about 30 percent of Finland's electricity," according to the operator.


Cry, Germany, cry.

[Jimbuna]

Crazy and avoidable situation.

[Jimbuna]

According to Reuters, the coalition of the "Big Seven" countries (G7) will keep the price limit for Russian oil delivered by sea at the level of 60 dollars per barrel.

The G7 and Australia decided to keep the cap in place in the past few weeks after reviewing the $60 price set in December. This comes after four weeks of rising oil prices, helped by production cuts announced by OPEC+ and a recovery in Chinese consumption.

On Monday, the market consolidated, Brent crude oil futures and US crude oil remained above 80 dollars per barrel. Russian oil is sold at a discount of about $30 to Brent. Coalition officials concluded that the price cap works to limit Russian revenues while maintaining energy market stability, but said they would continue to coordinate to ensure effective monitoring and enforcement, the Reuters source added.

The coalition is also stepping up efforts to combat evasion of the price ceiling and sanctions imposed on Russia, including the use of deceptive practices to gain access to insurance and other coalition services for oil sold above the ceiling. Coalition members plan to develop guidelines to help service providers spot signs of evasion, such as manipulating vessel tracking or failing to itemize shipping, freight, customs and insurance costs separately from the oil itself, the agency spokeswoman said.

The oil price cap prohibits G7 and European Union companies from providing transport, insurance and financing services for Russian oil and petroleum products if they are sold at a price higher than the cap.

A Reuters source noted that a recent International Energy Administration (IEA) report concluded that the G7 sanctions regime had been effective, "not restricting global supplies of oil and petroleum products, but at the same time limiting Russia's ability to generate export revenues." The IEA said on Friday that Russia's March revenues from oil sales rose by $1 billion month-on-month to $12.7 billion, but were still 43% lower than a year earlier.

Earlier, the European Commission informed EU member states that limiting the price of Russian oil at $60 per barrel is proving effective in limiting the Kremlin's access to petrodollars without disrupting the market, and will remain unchanged for the time being.

[Jimbuna]

Russia has warned Europe that it faces a fresh gas crisis next winter as it scrambles to restock reserves as Vladimir Putin launches a new attempt to weaponise energy.

Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned gas supplier, said Europe had made it through winter despite cuts in Russian gas supplies owing to mild temperatures but warned there “is no guarantee that nature will make such a gift” again.

In a statement on Twitter, it said restocking for next winter would not be easy, blaming “politically motivated decisions aimed at halting the imports of Russian pipeline gas”.

Russia curbed pipeline gas supplies to Europe last year in retaliation for sanctions issued in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine.

The scramble to replace Russian gas with imports from around the world triggered a surge in prices and a major cost of living crisis that has cost Europe’s governments billions of euros.

However, Europe is now emerging from winter with gas stocks more than half full, close to record highs for the time of year.

That puts the continent in a stronger position to manage with less Russian gas, while it can also lean on imports of liquified natural gas (LNG) from elsewhere.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/othe...8a3c8d70&ei=18

[mapuc]

Here's another threat to todays and coming wind power

Several EU countries are implementing ambitious plans to turn the North Sea into a green energy powerhouse. But what will happen if global warming causes wind speeds to drop?

https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/...power-industry

Markus

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by mapuc

Here's another threat to todays and coming wind power



https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/...power-industry

Markus

Yeah, that one I asked several times! And that could very well be, we already have indices that the changing temperature patterns change the dynamics of atmosheric movement which keeps the global deep-sea currents going, by thawing ice into fresh water, which then races at high speed through the saltwater layers of the deep sea to the bottom, and causing kinetic energy. The level of activity in the water, in turn, also affects the motion in the atmospheric air temperature layers above it: it decreases, the wind blows weaker, weather zones move slower or stay completely in one place, warm air from the gulf does not come, cold air from the polar region flows further and further (a typical pattern in Europe at winter time if not coutnered by opposing warm air streams) - and Boom!, due to climate warming, paradoxically, climate freezes and cools down (when in 2014 my town flooded, it was because three supercells arrived at the same time over Münster and then moved for hours no more from the place, for lack of wind), which should please climate skeptics, they can then claim that there is no global warming. But, there was/is warming then already, without it we would not have these new problems and cooling effects. This is apparently paradox, but only at first sight. It will be great! The wind doesn't blow when the cloud cover is thick, aint that a stupid thing! Then, in addition to the failing photovoltaics, the wind milling also fails, that will then result in very, very many romantic candlelight dinner!

[Skybird]

I posted this in the Germany thread before, but it belongs into this energy thread as well.


https://think--again-org.translate.g..._x_tr_pto=wapp

[Jimbuna]

[Skybird]

^ Quite some Western and German companies deliberately refuse to cancel their profitable business in Russia, or feigned social responsibility for their Russian workers as an excuse to stay. Others simply waited and waited and waited too long while indulging in delicious hopes of the magic fairy who would make the world whole and good overnight.

My sympathy is kept within extremely narrow limits.

[Jimbuna]

^ Me too

[Jimbuna]

Meanwhile.....

Oil giant ExxonMobil's profits more than doubled in the first three months of this year, helped by the increased demand for oil and gas.

The US energy firm said cost-cutting measures also contributed to its record $11.4bn (£9.1bn) first-quarter profits, up from $5.5bn a year earlier.

The jump came despite falling oil prices and a $200m hit from windfall taxes the company paid in Europe.

Rival US oil firm Chevron also reported an increase in its profits.

It made nearly $6.6bn between January and March, up 5% from the same time a year ago. It also paid a $130m "energy profits levy" or windfall tax in the UK.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65427372

[Jimbuna]

Absolutely ludicrous when so many are struggling to stay warm.

Oil and gas giant BP has reported strong profits for the beginning of the year as energy prices remain high.

Profits hit $5bn (£4bn) in the first three months of the year, although this was down from $6.2bn last year with oil prices having fallen from the peak seen after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Bumper profits from energy firms have led to calls for them to pay more tax with households facing high bills.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats called for changes to the windfall tax.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called for a "proper" windfall tax on energy profits.

"Of course we want BP and others to make profits so they can invest but these are profits that they didn't expect to make, these are profits that are over and above because the world price of energy is so high," he told BBC Breakfast.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said: "These eye-watering profits are a kick in the teeth for all those struggling to pay their energy bills."

He added that the government had "let oil and gas giants off the hook for billions of pounds while people and businesses struggle to pay for their gas and electricity".'

The BBC has contacted the government for comment.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65453952

[Skybird]

Got my latest electricity bill update. I consumed 25% less in past 12 months (i altered nothing in my household habits, I have no clue how that drop comes, we heat with oil in thios house, not electrical), but I pay 50% more.


Simultaneously the government promises to see electricity prices drop
while the electricity supply is being further reduced and hydroelectric power is now being demonized and is to be shut down at all costs.

A left-green party propagandist (in the rank of a state secretary...) has also blabbed on state TV at prime time and implied that the Greens are not so much concerned with the climate as with the socio-political equalization of households - everyone should have the same much or little, in plain language.

I have always said it, for years. The Greens are not about eco, but about Marxist-Maoist social revolution. The Greens are merely Reds painted green. They have copied their tactics from the Greeks' wooden horse at Troy. Germany, this biggest free air mental asylum in Europe, falls for it since decades.

[Rockstar]

So, is it true Germany has dismantled a wind farm in order to expand a coal mine?


That’s probably why your electric bill went up, at least until they can get the coal plant fired up, maybe.

[Jimbuna]

Moscow was hit in its oil exports by sanctions following President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022. But the Russian oil still needs to flow, albeit in much-reduced quantity, to avoid a disastrous crash in the market, an expert said.

Samir Dani, author and professor at Keele University, explained why G7 countries have decided to put a cap on the cost of Russian oil per barrel rather than completely ban it from the market.

He told Express.co.uk: "It is not a complete ban on the Russian export of oil, but the cap aims at reducing the revenues that Russia gets through the sale of the oil.

"In terms of the G7 countries, they're doing this so that it does not cause an oil crisis and it does not cause further inflation.

"So the G7 countries are keeping the oil flowing through the world, but trying to reduce the revenue that Russia gets for its economy."