Job losses in S Wales coal · AditNow Community

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simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration Topic Starter

9 years ago

"BBC News" wrote:
An opencast mine in Powys is to be mothballed for two years with the loss of 75 jobs.
Celtic Energy is closing Nant Helen, Coelbren, because Wales' biggest coal-fired power station, Aberthaw, is downgrading its operations from April.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-37123674

my orders are to sit here and watch the world go by

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Ty Gwyn
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

Its a funny old world,this opencast mining Anthracite still in demand as domestic fuel is being mothballed,
And only yesterday I read of a new opencast been passed planning by the council up in Northumbria,very near the coast,would that be Steam or Coking coal?

B Clarke
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

"Ty Gwyn" wrote:
Its a funny old world,this opencast mining Anthracite still in demand as domestic fuel is being mothballed,
And only yesterday I read of a new opencast been passed planning by the council up in Northumbria,very near the coast,would that be Steam or Coking coal?

it is a funny old world there's a coal mine in glamorgan fron ?

that was deep mining now open cast with a battle to preserve part of the deep a compromise has been reached to allow the continuation of open cast while preserving some of the deep, a refreshing change to what EH do, times are a changing so local industry can carry on, enough of fossilising are working heritage

Ty Gwyn
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

"B Clarke" wrote:

"Ty Gwyn" wrote:
Its a funny old world,this opencast mining Anthracite still in demand as domestic fuel is being mothballed,
And only yesterday I read of a new opencast been passed planning by the council up in Northumbria,very near the coast,would that be Steam or Coking coal?

it is a funny old world there's a coal mine in glamorgan fron ?

that was deep mining now open cast with a battle to preserve part of the deep a compromise has been reached to allow the continuation of open cast while preserving some of the deep, a refreshing change to what EH do, times are a changing so local industry can carry on, enough of fossilising are working heritage

Presume you refer to Ffos y fran,don`t know why they would want to preserve any of the deep workings when the surface has gone,i know the locals and certain group`s were trying to stop the extension of Nant Llesg the other side of the road to Ffos y fran.

JohnnearCfon
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

"Ty Gwyn" wrote:

Presume you refer to Ffos y fran,don`t know why they would want to preserve any of the deep workings when the surface has gone,i know the locals and certain group`s were trying to stop the extension of Nant Llesg the other side of the road to Ffos y fran.

By "groups" I assume you include Friends of the Earth?

They do not have any sensible overall plan.

At this moment (well 5 minutes ago) current UK electricity demand was very low at 23.36GW. Of this generation is made up as follows:-

Coal - 0.57GW - 2.44%
Nuclear - 8.01GW - 34.28%
CCGT - 8.99GW - 38.48%
Wind - 3.81GW - 16.31%
Hydro (excluding Pumped Storage) - 0.28GW - 0.88%

Wind seldom generates more than 5GW (the highest in the last year being approx. 7GW and that, only on a few occasions.

Hydro generates a maximum of 1GW but is mostly around 0.5GW during the last year.

FotE are currently campaigning against the construction of Hinkley C Nuclear Power Station. So, when the current Nuclear stations stop generating, what are they proposing to replace those 8.01 GW of power with? That 8GW is a pretty constant figure although obviously the percentage of the whole reduces as demand increases. Wind/hydro certainly can't replace it, not by a long way.

Candles anyone? :lol:

somersetminer
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

"JohnnearCfon" wrote:

"Ty Gwyn" wrote:

FotE are currently campaigning against the construction of Hinkley C Nuclear Power Station. So, when the current Nuclear stations stop generating, what are they proposing to replace those 8.01 GW of power with? That 8GW is a pretty constant figure although obviously the percentage of the whole reduces as demand increases. Wind/hydro certainly can't replace it, not by a long way.

Candles anyone? :lol:

We just buy more from overseas, not cheap mind!
It may look like the campaigners get a say but the reason the power station hasn't started construction proper even now is all to do with the finances unfortunatly.

exspelio
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

I find it ironic that people use the 'carbon footprint' argument for not mining coal, yet a large amount of coal is shipped from the far east, from countries not signed up to the 'agreement', thereby adding shipping pollution to the equation.......

Always remember, nature is in charge, get it wrong and it is you who suffers!.

JohnnearCfon
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

"exspelio" wrote:
I find it ironic that people use the 'carbon footprint' argument for not mining coal, yet a large amount of coal is shipped from the far east, from countries not signed up to the 'agreement', thereby adding shipping pollution to the equation.......

It is the same with "environmentally friendly bio-fuel". The fuel may be environmentally friendly, but not once you factor in transporting it from Canada or the Scandinavian countries!

Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

I often speculate on issues of security of supply and national security, sure there must be a plan in place somewhere.;D

somersetminer
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#10

"JohnnearCfon" wrote:

It is the same with "environmentally friendly bio-fuel". The fuel may be environmentally friendly, but not once you factor in transporting it from Canada or the Scandinavian countries!

out of sight, out of mind, like an awful lot of things right now, they know no one with any real power will hold them to account

John Lawson
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#11

It seemed to me pretty inevitable that opencast mining would close in Wales, just like they have here in Scotland.
Buccleugh estates, a large estate owner are trying to turn one of their opencast sites into an energy park.
They will erect wind turbines and couple this to a stored hydro electric scheme.
National Grid are looking for more hydro storage generating capacity, and around here you cannot imagine the number of new turbines being erected.
Other than friends of the earth, the main objectors are the MOD, who use the area for aircraft training, they claim, wind turbines interfere, with the radar picture.
National Grid are upgrading the power line from this area, to presumably, take this electricity south, and any more electricity required will come from abroad, or use of gas turbines.

Mr Pete
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#12

Roll on a cold winter with still days, brown out anybody. Then you would see it hit the fan!

Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#13

"Mr Pete" wrote:
Roll on a cold winter with still days, brown out anybody. Then you would see it hit the fan!

It's not going to happen unless there's a major grid failure combined with several plant and international interconnector problems.

Fingers crossed and service the Lister set.;D

JohnnearCfon
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#14

At this moment (well 5 minutes ago) current UK electricity demand was very low at 33.52GW. Of this generation is made up as follows:-

Coal - 1.34GW - 4.0%
Nuclear - 8.35GW - 24.91%
CCGT - 18.49GW - 55.16%
Wind - 0.99GW - 2.95%
Hydro (excluding Pumped Storage) - 0.35GW - 1.04%

So, wind and hydro combined are providing just the same as coal is at present. Friends of the Earth were trumpeting that wind provided the total output for the country at one stage a few days (nights?) ago. I assume they must have been referring to Scotland alone. I can only assume the entire nation was asleep at the time!

Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#15

"JohnnearCfon" wrote:
Coal - 1.34GW - 4.0%

If you hover the cursor over the coal meter it helps explain the current very low coal usage.
Also best time of year for coal plant maintenance

Jim MacPherson
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#16

Kindly brother supplied this little billet of information yesterday, it supplies some, quite detailed, meaty statistics (mainly linked to the situation in Germany, but relevant here).

http://euanmearns.com/an-update-on-the-energiewende/

Currently the nine turbines on the hillside above me are in a deep slumber, so I won't have a cup of coffee just yet.

Mr Pete
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#17

"But the Telegraph also reports that it has since emerged that on Monday evening National Grid was forced to issue an urgent call for more electricity after a series of coal and gas power plant breakdowns and the partial failure of a power import cable.

One plant was paid £1,250/MWh – more than 30 times the usual price of power – after the Grid issued the “Notification of Inadequate System Margin” (Nism) requesting more electricity be generated between 7pm and 9.30pm."

And its not the first time margins have come close, and we are still closing plants.

Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#18

Interesting reading.

Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#19

The whole industry (generation and supply) should be re-nationalized as nobody appears to be in overall control of anything!:curse:

http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2468632/national-grid-slammed-over-short-sighted-decision-to-shelve-demand-response-scheme

BertyBasset
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

#20

"Morlock" wrote:
The whole industry (generation and supply) should be re-nationalized as nobody appears to be in overall control of anything!:curse:

http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2468632/national-grid-slammed-over-short-sighted-decision-to-shelve-demand-response-scheme

Tsk, surely that would be against the free market that has served us so well. Titter.