electricity import record today ?

[Ken]

Electricity imports 23/3/2025.

Imports from Europe breaking records today? Max 9.25GW which is c 35% of transmission.

So with gas setting our high leccy prices the exporters must be laughing all the way. To be able to sell their excess production when their marginal cost of production is zeroish or even negative prices in their home market. This is all getting silly for us paying such high prices.

[Mart]

Ken (or anyone), could the different methods for deciding prices, mean that some of those imports are from countries exporting gas generated leccy, because they can do it profitably, whilst undercutting UK spot prices?

I was previously thinking that at least most imports will be lower carbon, but not sure now that we are living in the upside down.

[NoraBatty]

If we keep getting from the continent then it wont last long even if it is green.
https://www.ft.com/content/dc9c51ab-03c ... c4deed9b50

I would hope europe would just not buy gas from russia if this happened, and continue down their self reliance green planning path, but i fear it is entirely pie in the sky thinking.

[Ken]

Mart,
100% of the import is from countries not presently using gas. Click on the country here https://app.electricitymaps.com/zone/DK-DK1/72h/hourly

The biggest imports are from France ie excess nuclear but also Belgium,Netherlands excess nuclear, Denmark excess RE. but no gas.

Notice they dont curtail their production just send it to rip off Britain. For 85% of our leccy we are paying rip off dictated gas prices

We need to go to a pay for what we use system.

Ken

[Mart]

Thanks Ken, nice to know that the imports are OK. Panic over!

[nowty]

And I think Norway is mostly hydro, currently the second lowest CO2 import after the Viking link.

[Ken]

Yes Norway is a good eg whereby the leccy sent to us is just their wastage in effect and if they didnt turn it into leccy for us it would probably end up as splillage.

[Ken]

If we keep getting from the continent then it wont last long even if it is green.
https://www.ft.com/content/dc9c51ab-03c ... c4deed9b50

I would hope europe would just not buy gas from russia if this happened, and continue down their self reliance green planning path, but i fear it is entirely pie in the sky thinking.

Sorry cannot read that but i can guess the content. Whilst i can see EU leccy becoming zero Russian gas what i have no feel for is how much is used domestically and commercially- could be considerable, and how easy is it to reduce that.

[nowty]

If we keep getting from the continent then it wont last long even if it is green.
https://www.ft.com/content/dc9c51ab-03c ... c4deed9b50

I would hope europe would just not buy gas from russia if this happened, and continue down their self reliance green planning path, but i fear it is entirely pie in the sky thinking.

Sorry cannot read that but i can guess the content. Whilst i can see EU leccy becoming zero Russian gas what i have no feel for is how much is used domestically and commercially- could be considerable, and how easy is it to reduce that.

Readable version.
https://archive.ph/TGAGQ

Money talks as they say.

[dan_b]

Hi Ken
For the sake of clarity, do you mean that they're sending it in order to try and rip off Britain, or do you mean that the price-setting system in the UK means that we are "rip off Britain" by design - ie that the system where gas sets the price of all generation on the stack regardless of cost needs to change?!

Mart,

Notice they dont curtail their production just send it to rip off Britain. For 85% of our leccy we are paying rip off dictated gas prices


Ken