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British electricity helps keep the lights on in Europe: UK becomes net exporter for first time since 2017 as France shuts down record numbers of nuclear power plants
 [Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Data from the National Grid shows that Britain has been piping over electricity to France, Belgium and the Netherlands via undersea cables each month since April. The electricity shortfall in Europe has been put down to an unusual shutdown in French nuclear power stations, with half of its 56 reactors offline in May for maintenance, refueling or due to unexpected problems such as corrosion. While the UK is usually a net importer of electricity to help balance its grid, British gas-fired power stations have taken advantage of increased shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) arriving from the US, Qatar and also Peru to generate more electricity for export. Peru. PERU? As much as 43 per cent of the UK's electricity comes from renewable sources such as wind and solar, but when the sun is not shining or the wind not blowing the country often needs to import to offset these times. The last time the country was a net exporter on a monthly basis was in November 2017. The government recently ordered the National Grid to keep open two coal-fired power plants that were due to be shuttered in September as the ongoing energy crisis sidelines efforts to generate green energy. It is expected that the UK will continue to help France make up its shortfall in nuclear output for the rest of the year. The grids of both countries talk on a 'continuous basis' and offer each other mutual support in times of stress, according to the head of the National Grid ESO, Fintan Slye. Despite the UK's status as a net exporter of electricity, this is not expected to shield consumers from 'extreme pricing' and a reliance on coal could lead to some period of 'very tight margins' between supply and demand, Hewitt warned. Cornwall Insight has predicted that gas and electricity bills for British households will rise 65 per cent to more than £3,200 a year in October and from there jump to over £3,360 in January. Posted by: Skidmark 2022-07-16 |
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