
Britain passes one week without coal power for first time since 1882 - andyjohnson0
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/08/britain-passes-1-week-without-coal-power-for-first-time-since-1882
======
hjek
Banks Mining recently started a new opencast coal mine in Pont Valley in the
North[0], and Druridge Bay is still at risk of being mined[1].

Also worth keeping in mind that a many coal power plants have just switched
over to burning "biomass", which is a lovely sounding euphemism for burning
wood, but is "green energy" and thus eligible for massive subsidies. Drax, the
largest CO2 emitter in the UK, burns more wood than the UK produces, so a lot
of it comes from forests being chopped down in the US.[2]

[0]: [https://www.coalaction.org.uk/2018/03/protection-
camp](https://www.coalaction.org.uk/2018/03/protection-camp)

[1]: [https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate-change/saving-
druridge-...](https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate-change/saving-druridge-bay-
opencast-coal-mining)

[2]: [https://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/axedrax-
campaign/](https://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/axedrax-campaign/)

~~~
ArnoVW
That is not as crazy as it sounds. The problem with CO2 is the fact that we're
burning oil that was previously safely sequestered deep below the surface,
thus increasing dramatically the overal amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

The carbon from trees is part of the short term cycle, it was 'already in the
environment'. The idea being of course that you burn biomass that is produced
on purpose, or the byproduct of industrial activities, instead of massively
cutting down trees in wild forrests. In this case, yes you're stil releasing
carbon into the atmosphere, but the thing you're burning absorbed the carbon
before so it's neutral.

Good filters are of course needed to prevent soot and particulates from
polluting the air.

[http://www.carbonneutralcommons.com/glossary/short-long-
term...](http://www.carbonneutralcommons.com/glossary/short-long-term-carbon-
cycle/)

~~~
tialaramex
It /is/ as crazy as it sounds. To make Drax seem "carbon neutral" you have to
pretend that it's fine if the Carbon spends time in the form of CO2 the
atmosphere, causing global warming, rather than in a bunch of mature trees
because hey, it's the same carbon. But that's exactly the thing we were trying
to prevent, we're not worried about running out of carbon, we're worried we're
heating the planet up.

~~~
rory096
Is there reason to believe they're using old-growth trees rather than managed
forests? I would guess the former are more valuable in actual wood products.

~~~
hjek
From what I can read here[0], I get the impression that turning unmanaged
forests into managed forests is itself a threat to biodiversity:

> These Southeastern coastal forests in the US are home to bears, endangered
> red wolves, salamanders and a number of bird species as well as many endemic
> plants. According to a 2015 report by the National Resources Defense
> Council, the potential pellet sourcing area for existing and proposed pellet
> mills includes “critical habitat for 25 species that are federally listed as
> endangered or imperilled”. The area has been classified as a biodiversity
> hotspot, meaning that it contains an unusually high level of biodiversity
> (2000 endemic species in all) and that it is threatened. The threats here
> come from forest degradation and fragmentation, caused by urbanisation and
> ‘forest industries’ such as biomass.

[0]: [https://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/2018/pellets-
introduction/](https://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/2018/pellets-introduction/)

------
andyjohnson0
There's a real-time view of what is powering the UK national grid at [1].
Currently gas (~40%), wind (~22%), and nuclear (~18%), plus various
interconnectors (who may be using coal?)

[1]
[https://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/](https://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/)

~~~
jonatron
Do you know where the night demand comes from? I expected to see a bigger drop
at night

~~~
philjohn
UK has some tariffs with a cheaper electric charge at night called Economy 7.
This is used to heat storage heaters for properties without gas central
heating.

Industrial load will also play a factor, as will lighting homes during the
dark hours.

~~~
NeedMoreTea
The biggest industrial users - those on half hourly metering - also get
discounts to move usage offpeak, and there's some tariff options that _turn
off_ or restrict those highest users during peaks. Partly so the grid don't
have to keep waking up Dinorwig. :)

~~~
ljf
To save others googling:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinorwig_Power_Station](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinorwig_Power_Station)
\- cheers for the interesting read!

~~~
semi-extrinsic
Wow. When notified in advance, Dinorwig can go from 0MW to 1800 MW power
delivery in 16 seconds. Unprepared, looks like it takes a couple of minutes.

~~~
myself248
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McByJeX2evM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McByJeX2evM)

Absolutely breathtaking inside that place.

~~~
louthy
Rimmer: We can’t afford to take any chances. Jump up to red alert.

Kryten: Are you sure, sir? It does mean changing the bulb.

------
MR4D
The other side of this is that Britain reduces is coal imports by more than
80% in less than 5 years! The UK wins twice - first, by cleaner air, second by
a more favorable balance of payments.

[https://ourworldindata.org/death-uk-coal](https://ourworldindata.org/death-
uk-coal)

~~~
flavius29663
well, they are burning wood pellets instead, so they are still importing
millions of shitons of organic material.

[https://www.carbonbrief.org/uk-now-burning-33-of-worlds-
wood...](https://www.carbonbrief.org/uk-now-burning-33-of-worlds-wood-pellet-
imports)

[http://biomassmagazine.com/articles/13866/uk-wood-pellet-
imp...](http://biomassmagazine.com/articles/13866/uk-wood-pellet-imports-
expected-to-reach-new-record-in-2016)

Is it better or worse than coal?

------
basetop
I love these fake feel good stories. In other words, britain offloaded energy
intensive manufacturing and its coal burning to china, india, etc.

Just like how ireland "recycles" most of its plastic by shipping them to
china.

[https://www.thejournal.ie/ireland-plastic-
waste-3786393-Jan2...](https://www.thejournal.ie/ireland-plastic-
waste-3786393-Jan2018/)

And of course how norway is doing wonders by buying electric cars and
investing in "clean" energy using the money they got by selling oil.

I just can't stand the self-aggrandizing bullshit from northern european
countries.

------
dannyw
This is an amazing milestone. Imagine what renewable energy can do for us in 5
years.

