Memorandum by Highlands Against Windfarms
1) Renewables cannot provide "base
load" electricity, although hydro can give a limited contribution.
Hydro is handicapped by the need for large amounts of stored water
so, as was shown in 2002-03, a shortage of rain means very low
water levels and hence very low load factors. The load factor
is the ratio of power actually generated/installed capacity. Nuclear,
gas and coal fire power stations normally have a load factor of
80-95%, whereas the load factor for wind power in 2007, both off-shore
and on-shore was less than 28%. The National Grid requires what
is called "despatchable" electricity, this means electricity
that is available when required. Windpower clearly does not fit
into this category because of it's intermittency and any electricity
generated by wind is effectively "surplus to requirement".
Wave power would also fall into this category as most of the waves
around our coast are "wind generated". Incidentally,
UK offshore load factors in 2007 were no better than on-shore,
and considering the prohibitive cost of building windfarms off
our coasts (Shell pulled out of the London Array because of the
economics) this too would seem to be a "fool's errand".
In terms of anthropogenic climate change (if there is such a thing)
if all the UK's requirements were met by renewables (not possible)
this would reduce global CO2 emissions by a theoretical 0.6%,
see calculation below.
2) It is estimated that global CO2 emissions
are 27000 megatonnes, or 27 gigatonnes per annum (and rising).
It is also widely accepted that windpower theoretically displaces
430kg of CO2 per megawatt hour of generation displaced. At normal
times the UK requires approximately 45 gigawatts (45,000 megawatts)
of despatchable electricity, therefore:
3) Global CO2 emissions are estimated to
be increasing by almost 3% per annum so quite clearly if the UK
stopped using electricity tomorrow this would not make a jot of
difference. E.ON, the energy giant, have stated recently that
we will need at least 90% of any installed wind capacity available
in conventional generation, simply as back up for those many non-windy
days. The cost of this will be prohibitive.
4) So why are we the consumer subsidising
the wind industry to the tune of £55 per megawatt hour (ROC
and CCLe) when they cannot help the much needed security of supply
and cannot make the remotest difference to global CO2 levels?
To make matters worse most of the hardware used by the wind industry
is either Danish or German. Last year this "subsidy"
cost us £318 million, and this is predicted to reach £1
billion over the next three years.
5) Germany has over 22,000 windturbines
yet have just commissioned three new gas-fired power stations
and are planning 26 more coal-fired versions. There is approximately
2.4 gigawatts of installed windpower in the UK and its uselessness
was highlighted when we recently lost the outputs from Longannnet
and Sizewell "B" power stations—500,000 homes
were without electricity during this period.
**
ROC = Renewable Obligation Certificate (Currently
£51/MWh)
CCle = Climate change levy Exemption (£4.30/MWh)
Bob Graham
Chairman
June 2008
| 
