Too much electricity

[g320y]

I found this articlehttps://www.carboncommentary.com/blog/2024/12/1 ... -countries interesting about transition to solar and wind - too much electricity!

[TimF]

The article considers only total demand / consumption. In the UK, the major issue in electricity use is the distribution network. The port of Southampton has several cruise ship terminals, only one of which has a shore power connection facility, but it cannot be used at full power at all times because the grid can't supply that load in addition to that of local housing / industry / commerce (given the government requirement for more and more housebuilding, that latter demand is unlikely to decrease even given improvements in energy efficiency of home heating etc as presumed by the article).

Scotland has been a significant net exporter of electricity to England for some time, and there are proposals for additional pylon and submarine cable routes allowing a substantial increase in that export. But trying to add the tens of Megawatts of capacity needed to get all Southampton's cruise ships able to shut down their main engines while in port is going to be a difficult and very expensive exercise.

[Midgex]

...The port of Southampton has several cruise ship terminals, only one of which has a shore power connection facility, but it cannot be used at full power at all times because the grid can't supply that load in addition to that of loca

...

trying to add the tens of Megawatts of capacity needed to get all Southampton's cruise ships able to shut down their main engines while in port is going to be a difficult and very expensive exercise.

Let me pick two things out of that.
Firstly, a few years ago, there was not even one terminal with a shore power connection. Now there is one. In a few years, there may be several and later, all. Including one for tugs - electric tugs are wonderful. These things get built, connections get improved, etc etc.

Secondly, at least notionally, should there be a sudden interruption to the inland supply of electricity to Southampton, it now has a place for a ship with a large generating capacity to plug in and feed the city or port. While it probably won't be needed, at least often, and would be a mucky generator, it is nice to have such resilience appear. Gripping hand: these things can run both ways.

[TimF]

...The port of Southampton has several cruise ship terminals, only one of which has a shore power connection facility, but it cannot be used at full power at all times because the grid can't supply that load in addition to that of loca

...

trying to add the tens of Megawatts of capacity needed to get all Southampton's cruise ships able to shut down their main engines while in port is going to be a difficult and very expensive exercise.

Let me pick two things out of that.
Firstly, a few years ago, there was not even one terminal with a shore power connection. Now there is one. In a few years, there may be several and later, all. Including one for tugs - electric tugs are wonderful. These things get built, connections get improved, etc etc.

Secondly, at least notionally, should there be a sudden interruption to the inland supply of electricity to Southampton, it now has a place for a ship with a large generating capacity to plug in and feed the city or port. While it probably won't be needed, at least often, and would be a mucky generator, it is nice to have such resilience appear. Gripping hand: these things can run both ways.

While I applaud the optimism, I must add some regrettable hard facts. Southampton doesn't have the grid capacity for more shore powering. Take a look at the WightLink ferry operator's plans for carbon reduction https://www.wightlink.co.uk/community/e ... ero-carbon - not one mention of Southampton. Although Red Funnel are going to introduce an electric ferry, I can find nothing to suggest it will be able to recharge in Southampton. As far as I can tell, the nearest National Grid main connection point is to the north of the city, where there is currently a 20MW peak-lopping gas generator (decommissioning has been proposed). I suppose it would be possible to lay an underwater link along the River Test from there into the docks, but protecting this from dredging (etc) might be difficult. And it wouldn't get over the basic problem that the main supplies of energy are located well away from central southern England (a proposal for a 1GW offshore windfarm south of Bournemouth was rejected many years ago), and the (gas-powered) Marchwood and Poole power stations were closed decades ago.

[Midgex]

... regrettable hard facts. Southampton doesn't have the grid capacity for more shore powering. Take a look at the WightLink ferry operator's plans for carbon reduction https://www.wightlink.co.uk/community/e ... ero-carbon - not one mention of Southampton. Although Red Funnel are going to introduce an electric ferry, I can find nothing to suggest it will be able to recharge in Southampton. As far as I can tell, the nearest National Grid main connection point is to the north of the city, ... the basic problem that the main supplies of energy are located well away from central southern England (a proposal for a 1GW offshore windfarm south of Bournemouth...

The main Grid sources are to the North (It is on the South coast) and no additional Grid transmission could be added?
Wind turbines could not be added on land or in the sea nearby?
It is given that there is a place for a 1GW windfarm near Bournemouth - nowadays it would be likely to generate more than that.

Ferries have two termini, one might expect them to charge at the other?

I'm not aware of any brown-outs at present, adding battery capacity nearby will increase the peak capability.

[Midgex]

If you want a strange idea, SOTON is a port, you can sail ships, barges, etc, full of containerised batteries in and plug them in to power the city and the port. Not the handiest way, but containerised loads are very fungible.

If there isn't somewhere nearby with excess capacity at some stages of the day, then clearly something needs building fast, and perhaps not that near the city. France, for instance.