Europe facing double whammy over energy

Bill Masen - September 16, 2021

Gossip has it that this fire means there may not be enough power available in the south east if the weather turns bad, Apparently everything is at capacity in the power system now. Plus there is a natural gas shortage across the EU, both issues driving up energy prices very quickly.

 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58579829

 https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/expensive-winter-ahead-europes-power-prices-surge-2021-09-10/

 https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/13/europes-gas-shortage-could-make-the-whole-world-pay-more-to-get-warm-this-winter.html

If there ever was a good example  to develop back up preps for our homes this is it.  Far to many of our utilities are operating near capacity and are under prepared for trouble ( like the TX power stations last year.

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I have a friend in the industry and the process to deal with sudden loss such as this is that a mothballed Drax power station in Selby is fired up. Unless we have an unseasonal cold snap, which is not forecast, the National Grid should hold and the Power cable will be repaired by the 25th of this month. The 1GW loss from the Gigawatt power line will be replaced by the output of Drax.

However you are correct, it does highlight the fragility of our energy supply and the need to either move toward a less energy dependant lifestyle or to have alternatives at our disposal.

 

 

I hope its fixed by the 25th that would be good, it would ensure continuity of supply and hopefully bring prices back down. BBC is saying March 22 before its fixed..

Correct me if I’m wrong but i thought Drax was closed down in March permenently, probably only closed part or changed fuels. , I know they scrapped plans to convert from coal to gas earlier this year. In February last year, Drax announced it would close its two remaining coal units by March 2021. All coal-fired power generation has to end in the UK by 2025.  I think they may now be burning expensive wood pulp imported from America

 

These  snippets are interesting reads 🙂

Record electricity imports risk Britain’s energy security

https://www.neimagazine.com/news/newsuk-nia-says-electricity-imports-undermine-energy-security-8987790

 

The friend I alluded to lives close to Selby and is belching merrily as we speak. It does indeed burn alternative fuels but is still known as Drax, go figure.

Anyhoo, there is little I can do about all of this, apart from ensuring that my own little home is able to function regardless. No matter how much I research or wring my hands, I cannot change the circumstances and besides, my peabrain has trouble processing all this doom and gloom. I’m afraid I cannot get het up about something out of my control and as my natural disposition is one of pleasant happiness, I find I’m inclined to acknowledge these problems, but not obsess about them.

 

Good afternoon Bill and Jenny,

Soon enough the EU (read: Germany) will have a working Nordstream pipeline with Gazprom gas flowing under the Baltic Vybork, Ru to Griefswald, Ge. 

In practical terms, fuel supplies for the continent are not the problem; the EU is.

In case of actual fuel shortages in UK, nearby Bantry Bay, Irish Republic, … the refinery is de facto US-controlled … will be transit site for refined gooy products for UK.

For a prepper, plan for personal warming, cooking AND including portable stuff for infantry type evacuations if/when required.

Regardless of the Washington Post pronouncements, the UK is so imbedded into the US economy and society, it’s not going to be abandoned to the EU or folks in Moscow.

Foot Note:  I had an involvement in development of Bantry Bay.

 

Good morning Bob. With respect, there are a number of refineries on mainland Great Britain without the need to go cap in hand to another EU country.

We generally get most of our natural gas from the North Sea and we already have a pipeline from Norway. I believe we have also imported a small amount of LPG from USA which has been offloaded at Milford Haven.

Our problem is not fuel to produce energy, but the means to turn that fuel into energy. Consecutive governments have promised cleaner energy production and have signed the country up to various green initiatives on the one hand, on the other not one of them have had the nouse to sign off on alternative energy production to replace the power stations being closed. So we now find ourselves in the position where older and less green power stations are closing and are not being replaced. We are no longer self sufficient in energy. We need new power stations, not new power cables supplying us with expensive energy from other countries.

The really laughable thing is that these consecutive governments were too scared to build nuclear power stations for fear of upsetting the greens, but they are quite happy to purchase electricity produced by French nuclear power plants. NIMBYism at it’s best operating right there!

However, there is little I can do about any of that, except to keep paying the bills, be aware of the news and make sure I can breach the inevitable blackouts.

 

Good afternoon Jenny,

In a real emergency … an all Hades breaking loose … the Irish Republic could be going away. The EU is like NATO: expressions. 

The US refinery Bantry Bay allows for water deliveries to UK proper. As an aside, am guessing a SHTF means the devolution nonsense ends. 

The North Sea oil fields are shared and the area itself is difficult to handle – especially the area weather. Prestwick Airport will probably close down.

Bantry Bay is also designed for hostilities. The USN and RN will, admittedly, be busy but nothing like the problems of North Sea.

An historical example reminded of due to the recent anniversary. During the 1973 Arab – Israeli War, the US was ready for supply missions to Israel.  The usual route was via Lajes, Azores, Portuguese territory.  Because the Portugese have so much Arab oil business, Lisbon told the US, Lajes could not be used for Israeli resupply. The major assignment of the day was for Kissinger to inform Lisbon, that if the US could not use Portuguese territory, the next morning the Azores would be an independent, sovereign nation.

The resupply via Lajes kept the Israelis from using their already positioned nuclear ordnance and arsenal. Defense Depot Ogden, was completely emptied and the US arranged for much of the resupply aircraft to arrive Tel Aviv during daylight hours.

Ireland is like the Bahamas, created for reasons other than traditional independence. Must omit the politics here.