Norway Wants to Be Europe’s Battery

[minestrone]

There's many suitable locations. We just lack the imagination.

Hydro Power in Scotland

Firstly you are talking about something completely different now, small hydro generators.

Secondly I would not trust anything that comes out of the Scottish Government's mouth regarding energy policy. Complete fantasy stuff.

To do energy storage like what Norway is proposing needs large height drops next to sea level with easily dammed valleys that can store the water. Their coast has 100 of miles of this. We don't. We have also put in pretty much all the hydro plants we can as our rivers don't have fast drops in height.

Now Hunterston B is about to go critical it seems and we missed the boat with building Hunterston C we are fooked. But let's just keep trotting out the line that renewables will save us.

[tractor]

...

Pumped storage has been around for decades.

Satisfy your pumping power needs with wind generated and your operating power requirements are (almost) free.

Perpetual motion.

I think we have 4 of these already in GB and plenty of room/scope for more than enough to become a year round exporter.

[The Spartan]

It would also upset a fairly large number of Scots since that's where a lot of the really suitable geography is, fair bit in Wales too and somewhat less in Yorkshire.

Not that I object in principle, a bit like Norway there's a good chunk of potential spots for hydro power in the UK, but the Norwegian population is tiny in comparison and they have less Nimby types who see hydro as a massive negative.

The UK is a wet place and generations of politicians have ignored the resource.

I wish they would make use of all the wet weather in Wales to generate power, problem is the Welsh Assembly are just thick it took them this long to finally approve a relief road for the M4.

[BrilloPad]

Did you know in the last 24 hours UK wind power generated more electricity than all the operational nuclear power stations?

Thankfully every day we get the tail end of a hurricane. Or there might be a flaw in your statement.

[The Spartan]

Thankfully every day we get the tail end of a hurricane. Or there might be a flaw in your statement.

Don't be silly Brillo, Scooter is all seeing and all knowing

[scooterscot]

Don't be silly Brillo, Scooter is all seeing and all knowing

If we had twice as many turbines and half a hurricane, i.e. a stiff breeze as we call it up north, the nuclear stations would struggle to keep up. Particularly as those remaining are fast approaching their retirement.

[JRCT]

I do find it odd that people compare Scotland to Norway. Yes, they have a similar population size and similar landscape type (hills, trees, cold water) but do you realise how absolutely massive Norway is?

Kristiansand, in the south, to Hamningsburg in the north is around 1500 miles. Kristiansand to Rome (in Italy) is around 1400 miles.

It is truly massive and they have so much more scope to do things - and do them well - than the UK, and Scotland in particular.

[The Spartan]

Not too mention Norway has masses of money from oil that it can reinvest

[d000hg]

We don't have the landscape.

Yes we do. We don't have the vast tracts of empty space but we certainly have some good countryside where there is lots of wind and no people.

Because it can't be stored for later use. It can only be used in real time so you only get electricity from wind turbines when the wind is blowing.

So the reason we can't store it is because it can't be stored? Great analysis. Clearly, it CAN be stored the question is whether it's feasible to do so. You can pump water, hydrolyse it to obtain hydrogen, etc.

[Freaki Li Cuatre]

So the reason we can't store it is because it can't be stored? Great analysis. Clearly, it CAN be stored the question is whether it's feasible to do so.

Why can't excess energy be stored in like a giant Ever Ready battery? Is that technically possible?