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Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Deindustrialization 1, Europe's sagging energy supply

I am starting a new thread in this blog, about the crawling deindustrialization of the west, especially Europe. The cause of which is high and even rising government intervention and central planning in energy and transportation rationing, climate alarmism. See these previous reports in 2021.

1. European Power Grid Narrowly Misses Widespread Blackout As Frequency Drops Suddenly 
By P Gosselin on 10. January 2021 
https://notrickszone.com/2021/01/10/european-power-grid-narrowly-misses-widespread-blackout-as-frequency-drops-suddenly/

A European power grid disturbance occurred at around 2 p.m. according to the Austrian Power Grid (APG). The normal frequency for Europe is 50 Hz and on Friday afternoon it dropped sharply to 49.75 Hz.

“A larger supply area must have broken away,” blackout expert Herbert Saurugg told futurezone.

2. Net Zero by 2050   A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector (224 pages)
May 18, 2021 
https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/0716bb9a-6138-4918-8023-cb24caa47794/NetZeroby2050-ARoadmapfortheGlobalEnergySector.pdf

(On page 20 -- no new coal plants, no new oil and gas fields this year 2021; by 2030 phaseout of all coal power plants in rich countries, by 2040 phaseout of all other coal plants even in poor countries.)

3. Ignored warnings 
Another major fault in the European power supply system 
Herbert Saurugg  July 27, 2021, 6:51 pm 
https://www.risknet.de/themen/risknews/ignorierte-warnhinweise/

On July 24, 2021 at 4:36 p.m. there was a breakdown of the network in the European network and thus the second major disruption in the last 7 months. But hardly anyone took notice of it, true to the motto "Guat is ganga, nothing is g'scheh'n", even if around 2 million people in France, Spain and Portugal were briefly without electricity Kitty is busy, as only the deadliest catastrophe after World War II could lead to, other warning signs continue to be ignored and we are obviously not learning.

4. Power Grid Expert Warns: “Signs Being Ignored” As Europe’s Grid Teeters On The Brink 
By P Gosselin on 3. August 2021
https://notrickszone.com/2021/08/03/power-grid-expert-warns-signs-being-ignored-as-europes-grid-teeters-on-the-brink/

5. Europe Faces an Energy Shock After Gas and Power Prices Rocket 
By Josefine Fokuhl, John Ainger, and Isis Almeida  August 5, 2021, 1:00 PM GMT+8
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-05/europe-faces-an-energy-shock-after-gas-and-power-prices-rocket

The cost of natural gas and electricity has surged across Europe, reaching records in some countries, as businesses re-open and workers return to the office. In Germany, wholesale power prices have risen more than 60% this year, leaving the owner of the Frau Honig cafe in Friedrichshain with no option but to raise prices of everything from cappuccinos to cinnamon rolls.

“The higher power prices were a double whammy after our cafe was forced to close for such a long time, doing only takeaway during the pandemic,” he said. “We just had to pass on the costs to customers.”

6. Britain forced to fire up coal plant amid record power prices and winter squeeze
Two coal facilities taken off standby as the amount of electricity coming from wind farms falls dramatically
By Rachel Millard and Olivia Rudgard, 6 September 2021 • 8:14pm
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/09/06/britain-forced-fire-coal-plant-amid-record-power-prices/

The UK has turned to a coal-fired power station to help boost its energy supply after global gas and power prices hit new highs and wind farms produced very low levels of electricity.

National Grid ESO, which balances Britain’s electricity supply and demand, asked EDF to fire up two units at its West Burton A power station in Lincolnshire. They had previously been on standby.

7. Ireland freezes power exports to UK as energy costs rocket tenfold 
10 September 2021 
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/09/09/ireland-freezes-power-exports-uk-energy-costs-rocket-tenfold/

A toxic combination of low wind speeds and a severe squeeze on the supply of natural gas sent power costs jumping tenfold on the British mainland on Thursday to as much as £2,300 per megawatt-hour, a new record high.

8. Major UK Fertilizer Plants Shuttered Due To Skyrocketing Natural Gas Prices 
BY TYLER DURDEN  THURSDAY, SEP 16, 2021 - 04:15 AM https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/major-uk-fertilizer-plants-shuttered-due-skyrocketing-natural-gas-prices

9. Skyrocketing Energy Prices Could Cripple Europe’s Economy 
By Tsvetana Paraskova - Sep 18, 2021, 6:00 PM CDT 
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/Skyrocketing-Energy-Prices-Could-Cripple-Europes-Economy.html

CF Industries, a manufacturer of hydrogen and nitrogen products, said this week it was halting operations at both its Billingham and Ince manufacturing complexes in the UK due to high natural gas prices.

Norway-based Yara, one of the world’s top ammonia producers, is curtailing production due to the record-high gas prices.

10. Government races to save businesses as energy prices soar 
Food shortages looming after factory closures hit production
Ashley Armstrong, Retail Editor | Emily Gosden, Energy Editor
Saturday September 18 2021, 12.00pm BST 
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/b48247d6-17fa-11ec-8aba-5ab737a99668

High energy prices prompted the closure of two fertiliser plants in northern England this week, leaving the food and drink industry facing a shortage of carbon dioxide, which is a byproduct of fertiliser manufacturing. The gas is critical to the production and transport of a range of products, from meat and bread to beer and fizzy drinks. It is also used in hospitals and nuclear power stations.

11. Gas Crunch Threatens UK Energy Industry With Wave Of Bankruptcies
By Irina Slav - Sep 20, 2021, 9:30 AM CDT
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Gas-Crunch-Threatens-UK-Energy-Industry-With-Wave-Of-Bankruptcies.html

Since the start of the year, seven electricity suppliers in the country have gone under, Bloomberg reports, because of failing to hedge against price hikes. This meant that they sold electricity to clients at lower prices than the current ones. They must now buy it expensively and then sell it cheaply, which is the fastest way to bankruptcy.

12. The Dangerous Rally In Natural Gas Prices 
By David Messler - Sep 20, 2021, 7:00 PM CDT 
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/The-Dangerous-Rally-In-Natural-Gas-Prices.html

Europe and the UK pay a price for energy “Greening”

One factor is the "greening" of the energy supply around the world, particularly in Europe. Much of the current global environmental impetus culminating in the thinking of Co2 as a harmful gas has its origins on the Continent and has easily spilled over the Channel to the U.K. Over the last decade, European countries have shifted to wind and solar for electricity generation, in pursuit of Paris goals and NetZero carbon in 2050. They have paid a price for this greenness ass you can see in the chart below. By comparison, in much of the U.S. utility rates average around $0.13 per KWH.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/263492/electricity-prices-in-selected-countries/

13. British Steel warns of up to 50-fold increase in power prices 
Sylvia Pfeifer and Harry Dempsey in London  September 21, 2021 
https://www.ft.com/content/49f37d21-841b-4230-bab2-667c530e5792

Steelmaking is highly energy-intensive; electricity costs can represent up to 20 per cent of the costs of converting the basic raw materials into steel. UK Steel, the industry association, said last week that some producers were suspending their operations for limited periods at peak times.

British Steel, which is owned by Chinese industrial conglomerate Jingye, said it was now being quoted a maximum price at peak times of “up to £2,500” per megawatt hour, compared with an average rate of £50/MWh in April.

14. Energy price rises: Dozens of firms will be left to collapse 
Households face higher bills after ministers reject bailouts
Steven Swinford, Political Editor | Emily Gosden, Energy Editor
Tuesday September 21 2021, 9.05am BST 
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/energy-price-rises-dozens-of-energy-firms-will-be-left-to-collapse-c900rhkm6

Ministers are instead considering underwriting billions of pounds in loans to cover the cost of companies taking customers from those that go bust. Suppliers that take these customers are expected to charge them the maximum allowed under the energy price cap at £1,277 a year for a typical household.

15. Germany: Coal tops wind as primary electricity source 
In the first half of 2021, coal shot up as the biggest contributor to Germany's electric grid, while wind power dropped to its lowest level since 2018. Officials say the weather is partly to blame.
September 13, 2021 
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-coal-tops-wind-as-primary-electricity-source/a-59168105

In total, conventional energy sources — including coal, natural gas and nuclear energy — comprised 56% of the total electricity fed into Germany's grid in the first half of 2021.
Coal was the leader out of the conventional energy sources, comprising over 27% of Germany's electricity. 


16. Power costs could force metal producers from Europe - Eurometaux
September 27, 2021  7:02 PM PST
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/power-costs-could-force-metal-producers-europe-eurometaux-2021-09-27/

"Rising electricity prices have already led to curtailments and could lead to further relocation of our sector outside Europe if not addressed," said the letter from Eurometaux addressed to Kadri Simson, European Commissioner for Energy.

17. UK industry could face shutdowns as wholesale gas price hits record high
Steel, chemicals and fertiliser industries warn of difficult winter unless government takes emergency action
Rob Davies and Joanna Partridge    Wed 6 Oct 2021 19.00 BST
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/oct/06/uk-industry-could-face-shutdowns-as-wholesale-gas-price-hits-record-high

18. European Firms Warn "Unbearably High Energy Costs" May Spark Wave Of Production Shutdowns

BY TYLER DURDEN   THURSDAY, DEC 23, 2021 - 07:35 AM
https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/european-firms-warn-unbearably-high-energy-costs-may-spark-wave-production-shutdowns

19. Germany’s Energy Surrender
Rarely has a country worked so hard to make itself vulnerable.
Bad policy choices contribute to the energy supply crunch.
By The Editorial Board. Dec. 22, 2021 6:52 pm ET
https://www.wsj.com/articles/germanys-energy-surrender-nuclear-power-angela-merkel-russia-vladimir-putin-11640207188

Ten years ago 17 nuclear reactors produced about a quarter of Germany’s electricity, but the 2011 Fukushima accident prompted former Chancellor Angela Merkel to phase out nuclear. Six reactors remain: Three will close this month, with the remaining three ceasing operations next year. It’s hard to think of a more self-defeating policy on economic, climate and geopolitical grounds.

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