The energy thread

[Catfish]

Good to hear!

Just wondering, France has a lot of nuclear plants, why are they all down?

[Skybird]

^ Personnel shortages due to Corona delayed maintenance over the past two years. Now, problems with corrosion from that delay. Also, low water levels in rivers forced powerplants to run in reduced power production format.


Many of their reactors are old.

[Jimbuna]

Millions of households in the UK will still need extra help, despite a multi-billion government plan to ease the impact of higher energy bills, campaigners have warned.

On Thursday, the government announced a plan to help households with their energy bills for two years.

Businesses will be protected from steep energy price rises for six months.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) said the poorest families still faced an £800 shortfall in household income.

The End Fuel Poverty Coalition said more support would be needed to help the poorest families over the winter.

And business groups have also voiced concern over the lack of detail explaining how the new price cap will work for firms.

The Federation of Small Businesses said the plan was "sparse on detail".

While the government has promised support for the most vulnerable industries, highlighting the hospitality sector, it has said there will be a review in three months' time to decide where the help should be targeted.

Small firms warned they cannot remain in "limbo" for the next three months.

[mapuc]

In the news here:

If the winter turns cold, Europe faces a dire scenario: rationing of gas.

That is the assessment at Nykredit Markets, which currently estimates that the probability that gas will be rationed in Europe in the coming winter is 'high'.

"A gradual worsening of the supply situation in Europe makes gas rationing for winter more and more likely," writes Nykredit Markets in a briefing.

It is noted that the Russian supply of gas has decreased in the past several months, and most recently Russia has announced that the important gas pipeline Nord Stream 1 will now be closed.

In the news yesterday it was said that the government had a plan on who would be first to lose electricity-Which will be common household on Zealand at first then it will be North Jutland.

Official buildings will lower it's temp to 19 degrees-Except hospital and care home.

Markus

[Jimbuna]

shouldn't think it will make that great a difference.

[mapuc]

The island I live on is self-sufficient with Electricity we produce on average
125-130 % of green electricity.

Markus

[Jimbuna]

Careful or some nice understanding politician might find a way of diverting some or all of that elsewhere.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Careful or some nice understanding politician might find a way of diverting some or all of that elsewhere.

That is to be feared. Markus should better cut the powerlines and dive the island as long as the crisis lasts.

[mapuc]

Originally Posted by Skybird

That is to be feared. Markus should better cut the powerlines and dive the island as long as the crisis lasts.

I have been on lookout for a power generator.

I know that the power shall be higher than what I use in real time.

If I'm currently using 600 W. then the generator need to have at least 800 W.

If I get it right.

However been looking at some who had 25 KW and 30 KW.
The biggest problem though is the price

Markus

[Skybird]

Just in: Switzerland announced it will build a final storage for nuclear waste directly at the German border.



Just days ago it became known that only two of Germany's neighbozurign coutnries woudl be wiling to deliver Germany gas, if need be. Germany had appealed for solidarity and distribution mechanisms that everybody needing gas could count on support from the other union members.



It seems that some countries take the opportunity to declare paydays against Germany for its ignorrant energy politics in past years when it simply ignorred all warnings and concerns by others - while now wanting their committment to help Germany out of its self-dug hole.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Skybird

It seems that some countries take the opportunity to declare paydays against Germany for its ignorrant energy politics in past years when it simply ignorred all warnings and concerns by others - while now wanting their committment to help Germany out of its self-dug hole.

Yep and QFT....self-inflicted.

[Jimbuna]

Good news for the consumer.

Fixed energy bills to get automatic discount

Customers on fixed energy deals will see their tariffs automatically cut, the Department for Business has said.

New Prime Minister Liz Truss announced typical annual household bills would be capped at £2,500 for two years.

People "do not need to take any action to get the benefits of this scheme," a spokesperson for the Department for Business told the BBC.

Energy firms have said they will contact customers over what government plans to cap bills mean for them.

Meanwhile, Downing Street has said it does not believe the mourning period for the Queen's death will affect the rollout of the new policy.

The prime minister's official spokesman said: "The public should be reassured that the energy price guarantee will be in place for households from 1 October, as planned."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62834191

[Dargo]

European natural gas prices now back to July levels and close to halving from the top. I’m not sure where we’ll end up this winter, it might very well halve again. If it does, it would still be 2-3 times higher than periods of “high“ prices pre-2021. But the bubble has popped.



https://twitter.com/BergAslak/status...05149079789570

[Jimbuna]

EU moves to cut peak electricity use by 5%

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has called for cuts to electricity use across the bloc and windfall taxes on energy firms to tackle high prices.

She told the European Parliament that gas and electricity prices had hit all-time highs after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

She called for electricity consumption to be cut at peak hours by at least 5%.

But plans for a cap on the price of natural gas, a key Russian export to the EU, were put on hold.

The plan outlined in Strasbourg targets "excess revenues" with proposals to skim the profits of low-carbon electricity producers and implement a de facto windfall tax on the oil, gas and coal sectors.

The money raised, estimated to be €140bn (£121bn; $141bn), would go to families and businesses across the EU's 27 states.

Companies producing energy from low-carbon sources such as wind, solar and nuclear would face a cap of €180 per megawatt hour (MWh) on their revenue.

By comparison, the front-year electricity price in Germany, the EU's biggest economy, was trading at just below €500/MWh on Wednesday.

"Power generators with lower operating costs have been able to reap extraordinary profits, way beyond what may have reasonably expected based on investment decisions," European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans said.

The windfall tax on fossil fuel producers and refiners would require them to contribute 33% of their taxable surplus profit.

The EU's member states will pore over the proposals with hopes of an agreement by the end of this month.

Ms von der Leyen also announced she would be visiting Ukraine again later on Wednesday for talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying: "Europe's solidarity with Ukraine will remain unshakeable."

Mr Zelensky's wife Olena was in the parliament as guest of honour to hear the speech.

Ms von der Leyen said that "making ends meet" was "becoming a source of anxiety for millions of businesses and households".

"In these times, it is wrong to receive extraordinary record revenues and profits benefiting from war and on the back of our consumers," she argued.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-62899940

[mapuc]

Here is how the Danish government will help Danes who may face huge bills this coming winter.

Cost above what the bill was in the month last year shall be what the customer shall pay-Rest of the money they can pay with interest each month with interest.

Meaning if your bill for Jan 2021 was 100 Euro and it's 200 Euro Jan 2023. You shall only pay 100 Euro and pay the rest each month over a year with interest around 2 percentage.

Danes a furious and many politician in opposition are angry too.

The newspaper is mocking this deal.

Markus