We are currently busy building new gas turbines. lol.

eigenspace 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Even if the number of gas turbines will increase (it's not increasing nearly as much as you'd think if you just look at the number being built, because old ones are also being decomissioned), the amount of gas being burnt on an annual level is going to be going down. These gas plants are for bridging gaps left open by wind and solar which cannot yet be covered by batteries.

If you believe in the transition to renewables, Germany fundamentally does still need gas turbines to make that happen, more than we currently have.

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bryanlarsen 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

That's not inconsistent. A robust grid will have enough capacity of any sort to cover peak demand during a dankelflaute but enough zero-emissions generation and storage to cover generation at all other times.

And that's exactly what Germany is doing. Their natural gas plants only run ~15% of the time. Usage is going down faster than capacity is going up.

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Tomte 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Because everyone copies it: the word is Dunkelflaute. U, not a.

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KyleTheDev 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

TIL Dankelflaute, a time when it is too dark with too little wind for either solar or wind energy generation. Thank you for this amazing word.

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bryanlarsen 5 hours ago | parent [-]

It has to be scoped by area. A Dankelflaute that covers the European continent has never been observed. OTOH, a Dankelflaute that covers only Germany is a regular occurrence.

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cbmuser 4 hours ago | parent [-]

So, you're telling me there is daylight in Spain when we have night in Germany?

Also, have you ever done some research on how winds work? They're usually blowing (or not blowing) across the whole continent.

So, yeah, Dunkelflauten usually cover the whole continent.

	▲	bryanlarsen 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I'm saying there is always wind blowing somewhere on the continent. For the time period where we have had widespread measurement of wind speeds continent wide, there has never been an hour without enough wind to turn a generator in some location. https://communities.springernature.com/posts/quantifying-the...

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e2le 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I'm sceptical that more gas turbines doesn't create a more vulnerable grid. The possibility of gas shortages this winter is on the horizon and if the UK were to cease exports for whatever reason it would be a disaster for the rest of Europe.

Ed Conway released a video on the UK's gas network and disaster planning[0].

As shown in their documentary, a shutdown of exports to Europe would only require 2 or 3 failure events (low production from wind/solar, high-usage of gas for power/heating, disruption or cessation of imports via gas-tankers, well-placed damage to the gas network, extreme weather in the north sea). To maintain pressure in the gas network, they would begin shedding the largest loads first, exports to mainland Europe is #1 on that list.

Let's also not forget Nordstream and the disaster that caused when it mysteriously blew up. Before those pipelines exploded, there were protests in Germany because people were struggling to heat their homes.

Nuclear isn't vulnerable to any of these issues, we're very lucky that construction and investment has continued these past decades. /s

[0]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKDnZz4wypI

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bryanlarsen 4 hours ago | parent [-]

Capacity isn't the problem, usage is. If Europe reduced its usage to about 10% of current usage, full tanks would last a full year.

Nuclear is unsuited for this problem. Europe needs something that will supply approximately all of its power needs for only a few days a year. Europe already has enough natural gas storage to do this. If you built enough nuclear to cover all its power needs for a few days a year you'd have enough nuclear to supply all its power needs 365 days a year. That would work great, but it would cost tens of trillions.

	▲	thelastgallon 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Maybe these can help https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karpowership

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cbmuser 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

We have to build new gas turbines since wind and solar do not provide dispatchable power.

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rdudek 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I hear there is a shortage of blades for the turbines.

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Krasnol 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Where did you hear that?

I could only find news on the opposite: https://www.oedigital.com/amp/news/540213-siemens-gamesa-ceo...

	▲	philipkglass 35 minutes ago \| parent [-]
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