A Conversation for The Electric Mountain, Dinorwig UK
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A754698 - The Electric Mountain, Dinorwig
AuldAlbertJ Posted Feb 2, 2009
Jaziniho said:
But the electricity isn't produced by the workers, it's produced by the fuel and the machinery. It costs less human labour to run a nuclear reactor at full power all day than it does to change its output. The cost of fuel, including the waste disposal, doesn't change significantly. Per kWh, nuclear power is cheapest when it's on all the time.
Fossil fuel plants, on the other hand, have widely varying efficiencies in terms of cost per kWh. Petroleum derivatives, including natural gas, still cost much more than coal. High efficiency turbines and generators have higher capital costs, so producers meet their peak loads with lower thermal-to-electric efficiencies. That improves their economic efficiency.
Night time loads therefore are a function of the fuel and machinery, and are met by the most economical segment of those.
By the way, it's my impression that Ffestiniog's nuclear power station was the chief source of pumping power for Dinorwig, until it was decommissioned. I have my suspicions that private ownership is the worst enemy of nuclear power.
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A754698 - The Electric Mountain, Dinorwig
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