GarethC wrote: ↑Fri Oct 01, 2021 4:14 pm
I'm possibly misunderstanding this, but these, when all built out, should prevent the stratospheric wholesale electricity prices we saw recently, should they not?
I'm assuming demand for electricity only exceeded our maximum ability to supply it by a relatively small amount, but that small amount was enough to send wholesale prices rocketing. The ability to import to the extent we will be able once all interconnectors are functioning should mean that we'll almost certainly always have enough electricity, and it might be very expensive when we're maxed out on import, but it won't be nearly as bad as the figures we saw recently?
That's my thinking too, and I hope it's right. Also of course depends on the situation in all the other countries (and those they are in turn connected too), but the scale of growth must Shirley mean we'll have enormous import (and eventually export) potential.
Dan's been reporting on interconnectors for so long now, and I can see why, because they are becoming a massive part of the RE move/potential, but perhaps underappreciated by most people and the media. If my understanding is correct then we have gone from 5GW (already a steady increase over time) earlier this year to 7.4GW (minus IFA1 which is currently down), then we get to ~16GW by mid decade, and ~22GW with the pipeline Dan has mentioned. That's not a linear growth, by any means, and will massively move the UK to higher RE penetration, and hopefully export.
Really, really massive news.