Power Generation
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Appendix A – Power Generation In balancing the pro-development bias of EN3 against EN1 (duty to ‘Protect and Enhance the Character of the District’) the only benefit of this proposal would be the production of some ‘renewable’ electricity. Wind farm output is calculated as: Installed Capacity x 8760 (hours in a year) x Capacity Factor (CF). The CF (actual output/installed capacity) depends on turbine design, turbine reliability and wind speeds. It varies from year to year and is difficult to predict. Average CF for the whole UK is around 30%, but only if offshore turbines (with higher and more consistent wind) are included. Developers often quote 30% even for onshore wind farms but renewableUK (the industry trade body) use 26.35% and DECC has used 25%. The average UK onshore CF (2006-2011) was 26.5%. It could be argued that the latest turbines are more efficient, but the existing data is mostly for Northern upland areas. The most suitable sites for wind farms have already been taken . The average output of a wind farm drops markedly over its operational life 1. Again, there is considerable variability in the figures, but it seems a typical onshore wind farm might start with a CF of 27%, dropping to around 11% after 15 years, and continuing to decline until the turbines are abandoned, scrapped or replaced. Wind farm operators willingly accepted the recent government plans to replace the current subsidy scheme with a more generous guaranteed price that only lasts for 15 years. RWE assume a 29.9% CF for Temple Hill in their calculations (with 2.5MW turbines) [PS] but have not provided any evidence to show that this would be attained, let alone maintained over 25 years. This is important because an over-estimate of maximum output and/or CF means an over- estimate of electricity produced and an over-estimate of CO2 savings. A more realistic CF (but still optimistic, at least in the longer term) would be 27%. So: 5 x 2.05MW turbines = 10.25MW installed maximum capacity Average output = 10.25 x 27% = 0,002.77MW In contrast: RWE Staythorpe power station (gas) = 1,735MW New Hinkley C (nuclear) = 3,200MW Drax (Bio/coal) power station = 4,000MW Temple Hill Annual output = 2.7675 x 8760 (hours) = 24,243 MWh Turnover (£100/MWh fixed price) = £2.42 million A conventional power station would earn £0.969 million for the same power Wind Power Subsidy = £2.42million - £0.969million = £1½ million per year Landowner payment = £2.42 x 5% (estimate) = £121,000 RWE has not justified what appears to be a gross over-estimate of the electricity produced. It is misleading to claim [D&AS 3.1.1] that the site would have a generating capacity of ‘between 9-15MW of clean, renewable energy’ when the total capacity will only be 10MW and the average amount generated only around 2.7MW. Also, the electricity produced is no more ‘ clean ’ than any other electricity. 1 The Performance of Wind Farm in the United Kingdom and Denmark (Prof G Hughes) Link S13/2699: reVOLT response Draft A Appendix A – Page 1 CO2 Saved / Homes Powered Although refusing to state the actual power output of the turbines, the application makes illustrative claims for the CO2 emissions that could be saved and the number of homes that could be powered. But, the actual amount of electricity generated would be erratic; whenever there is no wind (or less than 6.7mph), no electricity would be generated at all. The rationale for industrial wind power is to reduce UK CO2 emissions by replacing fossil-fuel powered electricity generation. The relevant factors in the calculation are: 1. The electricity produced by the wind farm over it’s operational life (see above); 2. Thus the reduction in CO2 emissions from fossil-fuelled generation; 3. Less additional CO2 emissions involved in construction of the wind farm. Reduction in Fossil Fuel CO2 - Baseline Using their optimistic CF, RWE [PS] quote figures for CO2 offset against gas and coal-fired conventional power. Current generation is a mix of these fuels and low carbon alternatives. The standard figure for CO2 offset recommended by DECC is 0.43kg CO2 per kWh, which is at the lower end of the range of values quoted by RWE. Also, the alternative is not to build more 1960s type coal-fired power stations. Old power stations (where carbon capture is uneconomic) are being replaced by various types of low carbon plants. The baseline for CO2 offset should be the likely alternative power sources in 2025, not those in 2010. The CO2 offset has been compared against legacy, coal-fired alternatives . Backup Power The intrinsic variability of wind means that back-up generation must be provided to meet electricity demand. The wind industry lobby claims that ‘the wind is always blowing somewhere’ and suggest that if enough additional power lines are built ‘surplus’ wind power could be transferred across the country, or across continents. In practise, long periods of very light winds are caused by high pressure weather systems, which frequently cover the whole of Northern Europe at the same time. It’s also suggested that ‘surplus’ wind power can be stored. The only way to store significant amounts of energy is pumped hydro-electric power (pumping water uphill). The UK has 2 such schemes, but these are already committed to their original purposes – meeting spikes in demand and emergency backup. The maximum capacity of these schemes is equivalent to about 45 minutes of total UK demand. Estimates for the proportion of backup power required for wind farms vary from 90-100% of the installed capacity. This means either that existing power stations are retained or that new generating capacity has to be built. In practise older coal-fired power stations are being kept on standby for the months when sustained periods of low winds are likely. In addition, gas fired power stations are forced to cycle up and down to meet variations in supply (as well the normal daily variations in demand). This has financial and efficiency impacts on these generators. In addition, it may be necessary to augment modern (CCGT 2) gas power with less efficient but faster-reacting (OCGT) gas power. As total generating capacity is being drawn down, the margin of reserve capacity (previously used to allow for unplanned maintenance) may not be enough to 2 CCGT = Closed Cycle Gas Turbine / OCGT = Open Cycle Gas Turbine S13/2699: reVOLT response Draft A Appendix A – Page 2 meet demand each time wind energy drops off. Diesel-powered generators, many of them purpose built, are being used to provide the extra capacity (at very high cost). Standby coal-stations, OCGT gas power, cycling CCGT gas power and diesel power create considerably more CO2 emissions than would CCGT power stations running at optimal levels. Some studies suggest that generating capacity based on wind power with OCGT/diesel backup emits more CO2 than the same generating capacity using only CCGT. Since saving carbon is the fundamental objective, in order to justify its claim to be fully ‘renewable, wind farm developers should demonstrate in a measurable way how much carbon will be saved. The requirement for backup power has not been factored into CO2 calculations. CO2 used in Wind Farm Construction . Wind farm developers often quote ‘payback’ times for CO2 as 2 - 10 months, but a House of Lords Science and Technology Committee report estimated 1 - 3 years. The actual payback time depends on the actual CO2 saved and the additional CO2 used in construction and transport. No allowance has been made for the additional CO2 used in construction and transport . The applicant refuses to say which turbine model will be installed of even the type of base construction. The following are likely to result in significant CO2 emissions: ° Extraction, processing and transport of the iron ore used in foundations and structure; ° Manufacturing of the turbine mechanism, housing and 15 blades; ° Transport from mainland Europe or China; ° Manufacture and transport of the turbine tower structure; ° Extraction, processing and transport of the cement, stone and steel for turbine bases; ° Extraction and transport of the aggregate for the 3.2km of extra/upgraded tracks, crane bases etc; ° Extraction and removal of tons of sub-soil; ° Additional HGV journeys for cranes, compound construction, trenching, cabling, etc. DEFRA state that an articulated lorry travelling at 50mph emits 756 tonnes of CO2 per year 3. There has been no national study to measure whether industrial wind farms produce any net reduction in CO2 emissions. Alternatives We recognise the need to generate electricity efficiently and cleanly and for more efficient use of energy (note that the latter ‘Includes energy for heating and cooling as well as generating electricity’ [NPPF]). It is not our role to suggest alternative means of achieving these aims, although they exist. Nor do we oppose all forms of wind energy. However, we dispute the claims made by RWE in the context of this application for an industrial development. 3 ‘Standard Road Transport Fuel Conversion Figures’ DEFRA S13/2699: reVOLT response Draft A Appendix A – Page 3 The SPD (2.4) repeats NPPF guidance about encouraging renewable/low carbon energy, but it does not mandate any particular technology. SKDC could comply with this guidance by encouraging greater use of heat pumps, shared heating schemes, solar energy, growing biofuels or by mandating higher building standards. Indeed there is already a high take-up of heat pumps, solar energy and biofuels in the local area. Alternative ways of reducing CO2 emissions include: 6000 households turn heating down by 1° C = 1,800 tons per year (300kg per home) Not building 6000 new houses = 480,000 tons (@ 80 ton per house) There are alternative ways of producing clean energy, or saving energy, without damaging the local environment or impacting local residents.