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BlackRabbit1 • today at 3:30 PM • 4 replies • view on HN

We are currently busy building new gas turbines. lol.


Replies

eigenspace • today at 3:40 PM

Even if the number of gas turbines will increase (it's not increasing nearly as much as you'd think if you just look at the number being built, because old ones are also being decomissioned), the amount of gas being burnt on an annual level is going to be going down. These gas plants are for bridging gaps left open by wind and solar which cannot yet be covered by batteries.

If you believe in the transition to renewables, Germany fundamentally does still need gas turbines to make that happen, more than we currently have.

bryanlarsen • today at 3:42 PM

That's not inconsistent. A robust grid will have enough capacity of any sort to cover peak demand during a dankelflaute but enough zero-emissions generation and storage to cover generation at all other times.

And that's exactly what Germany is doing. Their natural gas plants only run ~15% of the time. Usage is going down faster than capacity is going up.

https://unpopular-truth.com/2024/07/05/natures-influence-on-...

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cbmuser • today at 4:54 PM

We have to build new gas turbines since wind and solar do not provide dispatchable power.

rdudek • today at 3:53 PM

I hear there is a shortage of blades for the turbines.

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