Re: Aaaarrghh
exactly this
the infamous Dunkelflauten in winter
people do not seem to get if 25% plus of the grid is offline for even a minute; the grid collapses.
None of the protagonists appear to be able to understand the difference between dispatchable power and non-dispatchable power sources; and why the grid will be (is already ?) de-stabilised because there is too much non-dispatchable power in the system.
It doesn't matter how many days renewables supply all the UK's power needs; if there is no cover for when the sun don't shine& the wind don't blow (and its neap tides; and the rivers are all low/frozen etc) the result will be grid black out. And if you supply cover; to make it economical; then you need to use it at its most efficient - the cost of the plant standing idle for 95% plus of the year is too extreme to garner any economic backing.
Failing to plan for Dunkelflauten is a guarantee we will see blackouts. And add to the mix - using some form of stored energy (other than nuclear or coal/gas power stations) requires building what are effectively bombs all around the country; imagine a 1GW battery installation going up in flames ? I'll gladly have a nuke in my back garden; I don't want much more then a few 10s of kW in a batery pack anywhere near domestic dwellings.