Power Facts and Figures

Question 1

LCOE Equation

Answer 1

𝐿𝐶𝑂𝐸 (£/𝑀𝑊ℎ)=(𝐶𝐴𝑃𝐸𝑋+𝑂𝑃𝐸𝑋+𝐷𝐸𝐶𝑂𝑀)/𝐿𝐼𝐹𝐸𝑇𝐼𝑀𝐸 𝐸𝑁𝐸𝑅𝐺𝑌 𝑃𝑅𝑂𝐷𝑈𝐶𝑇𝐼𝑂𝑁

Question 2

Three Gorges

Answer 2

10 years contruction, 26 turbines - 700MW each, installed capacity of 20.3GW, 642km2 land inundated and 1.13 million people displaced

Question 3

Severn Barrage

Answer 3

9m diameter bulb turbines producing 4.3% UK’s electricity
2GW - 8.6GW max
£17 billion to build
11m tidal range Bristol channel
6p/kWh is 3.3p more than typical selling price of 2.7p/kWh

Question 4

Gas turbine power plants

Answer 4

Efficiencies above 55%

Baglan Bay 525MW CCGT plant 60% efficiency

Question 5

Geothermal

Answer 5

1000-2000 times less CO2 output than fossil fuel plant

Question 6

Transformers

Answer 6

Boost electricity to 400,000 volts

Question 7

Grid transmission losses

Answer 7

5-10%

Question 8

Nuclear

Answer 8

1*1inch fuel = 1 tonne coal

£92.50/mwhc

Question 9

Trawsfynydd

Answer 9

470MW magnox reactor 1965-91 £103 million decommissioning will add £29.75/mwh to every mwh produced (69TWh during operations)

Question 10

Wind Turbine

Answer 10

2MW/km2
20 year life
£39/mwh
110GW available offshore wind farms

Question 11

Biomass

Answer 11

Produces 14% world’s power

Question 12

UKs average electricity demand

Answer 12

60GW

Question 13

Grid balancing

Answer 13

Fridges listening in to frequency fluctuations 50Hz in supply and turning down thermostat

Question 14

Plan N

Answer 14

5 London sized blobs in transmeditarranean desert - 2000km long transmission line

Question 15

Carbon Tax

Answer 15

$150 per tonne, domestic users of gas would notice the cost of carbon in their heating bills
$370, carbon pollution would cost enough to significantly reduce people’s inclination to fly
$500 per tonne, average Europeans who didn’t change their lifestyle might spend 12% of income on the carbon costs of driving, flying, and heating their homes with gas.
$900 per tonne, the carbon cost of driving would be noticeable

$100 per tonne high enough to encourage investment in renewables and research and efficiency measures

Question 16

Phone chargers in sub-Saharan Africa

Answer 16

235 million

Question 17

Energy demand in the developing world

Answer 17

5% per year

Question 18

Tidal power

Answer 18

1.7GW in planning/development

Question 19

Tidal turbine velocity for economical operation

Answer 19

2ms-1

Question 20

Total tidal range capacity

Answer 20

25-30GW

Question 21

Swansea Lagoon

Answer 21

360MW capacity

Question 22

Transport

Answer 22

1/3 UK energy use

Question 23

Current UK energy

Answer 23

20% nuclear, 20% wind, 40% gas

Question 24

Energy Trilemma

Answer 24

Energy security - leads to conflicts (e.g. Suez, Irag), energy equity (energy poverty affects the poorest), environmental sustainability (low carbon sources can be expensive)

Question 25

IPCC

Answer 25

Decarbonise by 2035 to keep global warming to 1.5C

Question 26

UK wholesale electricity price

Answer 26

£60/mWh Jan 19
£40/mWh Apr 19
Currently £40/mWh Apr 19