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UK Blackout Risk – Amber Warning

February 11, 2016

UK Blackout Risk – Amber Warning

In recent months, three companies have announced closure of 4 large coal-fired power stations in the UK representing a total loss of 6.671 GW base load capacity*. Combined with closure of 1 nuclear station and the pending closure of two CCGTs, total capacity loss in 2016 will amount to 8.726 GW. If there was a blackout risk this winter, then things will obviously be much worse next winter.

In effect traditional generators are throwing in the towel confronted with a neo-Marxist system of production quotas, targets, subsidies, levies and regulation that places their superior technology at an impossible disadvantage to inferior wind and solar power, both of which are useless in averting a blackout risk when it is highest during a calm winter evening. UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Amber Rudd, needs to re-discover her Tory credentials and sort this situation out.

[* Note that this is a fluid situation with other announcements made since I wrote these words]

The last time I visited this topic was in October 2015 and at that time I saw little risk of UK blackouts this winter. The lights have thus far stayed on! But in the five months since, a lot has changed. The main variable is on-going closure of legacy base load power stations. But I have also learned a bit more about system operation and how the statistics should be interpreted. Mainly I have learned that power stations located in Northern Ireland should not be counted in UK generating statistics since National Grid does not include Northern Ireland in UK demand figures. And plant availability is never 100% and needs to be de-rated by approximately 15% to represent the real world of fires, boiler leaks and vibrations that are common place in the world of electricity generation and maintenance schedules.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Would A Long-Duration Blackout Cause Nuclear Armageddon?

February 4, 2016

Would A Long-Duration Blackout Cause Nuclear Armageddon?

nuke 2According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, there are sixty-one active commercial nuclear plants spread across the United States. A question on the minds of many is what would happen to those plants if the nation experienced a widespread, long-lasting power outage? Let me start by saying that there is a quite a bit of misinformation on the web about this subject, so my advice is to be careful about what you choose to believe.

Many of you may know that I have a background in science and engineering (Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering), so I believed that if I could talk with a knowledgeable person working in the nuclear power industry, I could get to the bottom of this question. To find answers, I consulted Jim Hopson, the Manager of Public Relations at the Tennessee Valley Authority. As readers may point out, it was in Mr. Hopson’s interest to assure me that nuclear plants are safe, but to be fair, I found him to be forthright about the industry’s safeguards and vulnerabilities.

Probably the best place to start is with a basic discussion of how a nuclear power plant operates. There are two types of reactors in the U.S., boiling water reactors (BWRs) and pressurized water reactors (PWRs). For purposes of our discussion, the differences in their operation aren’t terribly important. Nuclear reactors use an atomic process called fission to generate heat. The heat is then used to create steam that turns large turbines to generate electricity. The steam is later condensed and returned in a closed-loop process within the reactor system.

The nuclear reaction itself is beyond the scope of this brief write up (and my expertise), but the gist is that an energetic neutron is absorbed by a uranium-235 nucleus, briefly turning it into a uranium-236 nucleus.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

‘We can’t close, people need bread’: Syrians tell RT how they cope with Damascus blackouts

January 5, 2016

‘We can’t close, people need bread’: Syrians tell RT how they cope with Damascus blackouts

© Omar Sanadiki / Reuters
In the grip of war, Syrians have been coming up with ways to power the country. Damascus has been rationing electricity, while residents must resort to additional tricks to make it last, as RT’s Murad Gazdiev found out.

Without items such as truck battery packs and other tricks, people would have to choose between lighting the Christmas tree, watching television and heating a meal.

Generators also prove a lifesaver during lengthy blackouts, when an entire part of the Syrian capital has to go without electricity as they wait their turn. “We get power for two hours, then it’s cut for four,”Eva, a Damascus resident, told RT.

“We heard the rebels blew up gas and oil pipelines to power plants, which explains the electricity shortage,” she added.

Although the cuts are scheduled, there is no guarantee things will work like clockwork.

The loud roar of generators can be heard practically all over Damascus, as businesses continue working so life can go on as normal. But not everyone has access to a costly generator, which requires fuel, oil and other items.

However, as business owner Ibrahim says, “We can’t close. We have to feed the people, to make bread and other things. You have to continue to work, you can’t stop!”

Syria has been torn apart by the violent conflict for almost five years, with more than 250,000 people killed, according to UN estimates. The humanitarian crisis has internally displaced more than 6.5 million Syrians and forced 4.3 million to flee the country. They have sought refuge in neighboring countries and Europe.

Former CIA Director: We’re Not Doing Nearly Enough To Protect Against The EMP Threat

June 8, 2015

Former CIA Director: We’re Not Doing Nearly Enough To Protect Against The EMP Threat

It’s a BIG risk. And we’re doing little about it.

On Monday we covered the release of an open letter written to President Obama, issued by a committee of notable political, security and defense experts  — which includes past and present members of Congress, ambassadors, CIA directors, and others — on the country’s concerning level of vulnerability to a natural or man-made Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP).

An EMP has very real potential for crippling much of our electrical grid instantaneously. Not only would that immediately throw the social order into chaos, but the timeline to repair and restart the grid in most estimated scenarios would take months to a year or more. Those curious on learning exactly how devastating an EMP can be can read our report on the topic from last summer.

This week, we’ve been fortunate enough to get several of the authors of that open letter to join us and explain in depth what they conclude needs to be done to protect against the EMP risk: former CIA Director and current Ambassador James Woolsey, Executive Director of the EMP Task Force Dr Peter Pry, and security industry entrepreneur Jen Bawden.

What’s frightening in this story is not just the carnage an EMP could wreak, but the apparent rabid intransigence with which the electrical power lobby is fighting any responsibility for defending against one:

Chris Martenson:   Now, we’ve had a commission to assess the threat to the United States from an EMP attack, which delivered a report back in 2008. In fact, I found no less than two congressional commissions, a National Academy of Science report, other U.S. government sponsored studies, including your own. All have raised heightened concerns about this issue. All have found, all of them, that the EMP threat poses a significant and existential threat to the United States, and yet here we are still talking about this. Why is that?

 

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Is There Something Behind the Power Outage in Washington DC?

April 10, 2015

Is There Something Behind the Power Outage in Washington DC?

The April 7th, 2015 power outage in Washington DC is curious to say the least. Virtually instantaneously, the government declare it was not a terrorist attack. After all, how could that possibly be when the NSA guards the country. If there was an attack on the power-grid, then the NSA would have to answer for their failure. So clearly, if it was an attack, they would never admit it.

Instead, this has been attributed to a piece of metal breaking loose from a power line 43 miles southeast of the District of Columbia, which knocked out electricity to the White House, State Department and wide area including parts of Maryland. Can a simple piece of metal break and shut down that much power of a strategic area as DC? That seems to be an excuse like some drunk driver knocked over a power pole.

Only six days before Obama had to switch to emergency power was on April 1st in Rome where the power supply was out for hours effecting the Lazio region. That included the major Roman airport of Fiumicino. The cause of that event somehow remains unknown.

Just the day before in Turkey there was another power failure. That was the worst blackout since the devastating Marmara earthquake of 1999. Chaos in the capital and much of the country drew more than 70 million Turks into chaos. Public transport was paralyzed, traffic lights were dark, conveyor belts continued. Elevators halted and mobile phones were silent. Even hospitals switched to emergency mode and the NSA style surveillance cameras in the capital Ankara went black.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

 

 

The EMP Threat: All It Would Take Is A Couple Of Explosions To Send America Back To The 1800s

April 7, 2015

The EMP Threat: All It Would Take Is A Couple Of Explosions To Send America Back To The 1800s

Our entire way of life can be ended in a single day.  And it wouldn’t even take a nuclear war to do it.  All it would take for a rogue nation or terror organization to bring us to our knees is the explosion of a couple well-placed nuclear devices high up in our atmosphere.  The resulting electromagnetic pulses would fry electronics from coast to coast.  Of course this could also be accomplished without any attack.  Scientists tell us that massive solar storms have hit our planet before, and that it is inevitable that there will be more in the future.  As you will read about below, the most recent example of this was “the Carrington Event” in 1859.  If a similar burst from the sun hit us today, experts tell us that life in America could suddenly resemble life in the 1800s, and the economic damage caused could potentially be in the trillions of dollars.  This is one of the greatest potential threats that we are facing as a nation, and yet Barack Obama has essentially done nothing to get us prepared.

The technology necessary to conduct such an electromagnetic pulse attack against the United States has become much more accessible in recent years.  According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, even rogue nations such as North Korea and Iran either already have or will soon have the capability to hurt us in this way…

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

 

 

Massive Blackout Hits Turkey, Grounding Planes, Stopping Subways; Terror Not Ruled Out

March 31, 2015

Massive Blackout Hits Turkey, Grounding Planes, Stopping Subways; Terror Not Ruled Out

Ankara, we have a problem.

At around 10:36 a.m. local time, Turkey suffered a massive power outage that left half of the country’s 81 provinces without electricity in what was the biggest blackout in a decade and a half. The blackout shut down subways in Instanbul and knocked out 11 of 16 air traffic control receivers, grounding flights to and from the capital. Although the cause is not yet known, officials haven’t yet ruled out the possibility that the blackout may be terror-related.Here’s more via Reuters:

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said all possible causes of the outage were being investigated and did not rule out sabotage, but said that trouble with transmission lines was the most likely reason for the problem.

“Our main target right now is to restore the network. This is not an incident that we see frequently,” Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said during a trip to Bratislava, in comments broadcast on Turkish television.

“Whether or not terrorism is a high possibility or a low one I can’t say at this stage. I can’t say either whether it is a cyber attack,” he said in response to questions from reporters.

…and a bit more via RT:

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

 

As “Spectacular” Eclipse Covers Europe, Fears Turn To Its Power Grid

March 20, 2015

As “Spectacular” Eclipse Covers Europe, Fears Turn To Its Power Grid

Some parts of Europe witnessed a near total solar eclipse this morning, an event which, while fun to observe (not without the proper equipment please), presents a challenge for solar panels: namely, a lack of sun. As it turns out this same problem happens at night but, as WSJ reports, the rapidity with which an eclipse darkens the earth could cause blackouts if the energy grid can’t tack up the slack quick enough. Here’s more:

The solar eclipse will provide an acid test for a continent that has placed a big bet on renewable energy—but whose aging electricity grids could buckle under the strain of a sudden drop in solar power.

“Given the growth of renewables across Europe in recent years, this will require an unprecedented amount of careful balancing of supply and demand across the grid,” said Valentin de Miguel of consulting firm Accenture…

The partial disappearance of the sun Friday will place a huge strain on Europe’s energy system. Normally, when the sun goes down, it takes about an hour for the light to fade. That gives time for electricity grids to substitute the power flowing from solar panels with electricity generated from traditional sources such as coal and natural gas.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

 

Spain shuts down nuclear reactor after blackout

February 4, 2015

Spain shuts down nuclear reactor after blackout

A Spanish nuclear power plant was shut down following an electricity failure, local media reported late on Tuesday. Strong winds reportedly caused the blackout in the northeast of the country.

Operations at the Vandellos II 1,000-megawatt nuclear power station, located in Catalonia, Spain, were brought to a halt on Tuesday afternoon, Europapress.es reported, citing Nuclear Association Asco-Vandellos II and the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN).

READ MORE: Fukushima radiation detected 100 miles off California coast

Strong winds in the area were reportedly behind the electricity shortage. The shutdown was automatic following the power outage. According to the plant: “All the safety systems worked as planned” and the there is currently no danger.

The plant has notified the CSN of the incident. The outage did not cause any harm to the environment or the plant’s workers, CSN said in a statement.

Once the power is restored, the plant will be back online.

 

Venezuela “Boosts” Reserves With Rocks, Other “Easily Converted To Cash” Stuff; Suffers Major Blackout | Zero Hedge

December 4, 2014

Venezuela “Boosts” Reserves With Rocks, Other “Easily Converted To Cash” Stuff; Suffers Major Blackout | Zero Hedge.

With its bonds trading at 50% of face value, CDS implying an 84% chance of default, a black-market FX rate that signals massive devaluation is likely, and a teetering-on-the-brink of social unrest population entirely dependent on President Maduro’s generosity (and the military junta), it is perhaps not entirely surprising that they are trying any trick in the book to bolster reserves. The Venezuelan Central Bank issued a statement today (akin to Europe’s hookers-and-blow GDP adjustment) that enables them to count a whole new set of ‘assets’ as potential international reserves including “stones” and “precious metals held in their vaults on behalf of foreign financial institutions.” Hey presto… new reserves.

Risk is rising…

And Reserves are sliding

So make up some new ones…As Bloomberg reports, Central bank sends e-mailed statement explaining parts of new central bank law issued by President Nicolas Maduro.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Bangladesh power restored after blackout – Central & South Asia – Al Jazeera English

November 2, 2014

Bangladesh power restored after blackout – Central & South Asia – Al Jazeera EnglishBangladesh has restored power in most of the country, a day after a transmission line bringing electricity from neighbouring India failed, causing a nationwide blackout, officials have said.

The blackout, which affected more than 150 million people, was the country’s worst since a 2007 cyclone knocked out the national grid for several hours, and again exposed inefficient and dated infrastructure that has held back development in the South Asian nation.

Power was restored in Dhaka, the capital, and in other major cities too, but it was not clear how many people were still without electricity, which had been cut across Bangladesh at around noon on Saturday after a “technical glitch” that led to a cascade of failures throughout the national power grid, with power plants and substations shutting down.

Al Jazeera’s Tanvir Chowdhury, reporting from Dhaka, said that 80 percent of the country’s power has been restored, with 20 percent left to go.

“Calm has returned to the country, but most of the industries and the emergency service hospital clinics were badly hit [by the blackout],” he said.

…click on the link above to read the rest of the article…

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