from Hacker News

Electricity generated by fossil fuels in Great Britain drops to record low

by kieranmaine on 4/24/24, 2:59 PM with 45 comments

  • by jl6 on 4/24/24, 3:54 PM

    I really want to see some attempts at closed-loop renewable industry. Power generated from wind turbines built from steel made in direct hydrogen reduction steel plants (and the circuitry made with copper mined using electric mining gear, and so on and so on). It’s the project of our generation to rebaseline industry to work without fossil fuels. Renewable electricity generation is just the first step.

  • by fanf2 on 4/24/24, 6:13 PM

    The worst bit of greenwashing in Britain is the Drax power station https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drax_Power_Station

    It’s the largest power station in Britain, originally built to burn coal, but now it burns trees shipped from Canada. It isn’t sustainable.

  • by gwbas1c on 4/24/24, 3:34 PM

    How much was from burning wood?

    In the UK, some coal plants converted to burning wood, and importing scrap wood long distances, such as from the US.

    This is not sustainable.

  • by wood_spirit on 4/24/24, 3:27 PM

    Dieter Helm, the well world renowned professor of energy policy, recommends we measure carbon consumption not carbon production, else we have a perverse incentive to increase total carbon footprint by outsourcing it.

    An interview about it last week https://spotify.link/SKSpdUCL3Ib

  • by danielovichdk on 4/24/24, 3:36 PM

    Please read "The Price is Wrong" by Brett C. It takes you around the industry and business models of green renewables.

    It's an amazing book.

  • by sambeau on 4/24/24, 3:23 PM

    "for an hour"

  • by Ericson2314 on 4/24/24, 3:24 PM

    Intermittent renewables mean any too short metric is essentially a gamed cherry-pick.

    Give me your lowest monthly average, please.

  • by geye1234 on 4/24/24, 3:26 PM

    Nothing to do with the upcoming frequent blackouts that are widely predicted (and the gaps in power that are becoming more common and were unheard-of 20 years ago).

  • by Ringz on 4/24/24, 4:20 PM

    > The findings lend support to the aims of the ESO to begin the “groundbreaking and world-leading” step of running a zero-carbon electricity grid for Great Britain for short periods from next year.

    Running a „zero-carbon“ electricity grid also means to switch off nuclear since nuclear isn’t zero-carbon (even the ICCC estimates are disputed) nor renewable.

    When you take into account that nuclear reactors are not particularly fond of being ramped up and down (load-following operation), because this is neither economically nor technically desirable, these 15% must also come from renewable energy sources in order to truly speak of zero CO2 emissions.