Secure electrical supplies

The magnitude of this accident could have been reduced with (1) improved pipe design, (2) improved deluge system design, (3) backup or more secure electrical supply, and (4) installation of detection analyzers and block valves. 

Fuel cells can be highly efficient in generating electricity on-site as well as providing waste heat. Building applications are in the demonstration phase and offer security of electricity supply. 

We would like to have cheap energy, or, at least, energy as inexpensive as possible we would like secure energy supplies (in the political sense) and we want to have supply systems with minimum environmental effects. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to get all three at the same time. For many countries, the cheapest supplies are for some time likely to be imported oil, these are not however, necessarily secure. The use of coal may be politically secure and relatively inexpensive but not environmentally sanitary. S3mthetic fuels based on coal may pose environmental problems because of the large amounts of coal to be mined and processed, and may not be cheap either. Electricity, because it can be generated in a variety of ways and in many places responds well to security of supply. Environmental effects at the point of end use are minimal. 

The mechanical contractor is usually also responsible for providing adequate pressurized water supply, drainage (with special provisions for low-level areas of the closed-loop water system), bypasses, an electrical supply (typically 110 V, 1 phase, but also 3 phase where temporary pumps are required), HVAC system air purge vents, as well as other facilities, such as site access, toilets, security, and equipment handling systems. 

Replaceable share of consumption Gas supply to certain consumers, such as electricity producers, is interruptible whereas it is almost impossible to interrupt supply to households because they have no alternatives to gas supply. It gives flexibility to be able to cut off certain consumers, if necessary. Thus security of supply is higher if it is possible to replace a certain share of the gas consumption by different energy sources. 

Security of supply and reduction of transport distances since biomass is often locally produced and some part of biomass can be used in electricity production. 

In January 2001, Northern California, which was unable to secure its accustomed electricity supply from the drought-stricken Pacific Northwest hydroelectric plants, suffered rolling blackouts when excess capacity in Southern California could not be transmitted through Path 15. 

Free allocations to new entrants may also distort competition between Member States by giving different investment incentives in different Member States. In the electricity sector, this could have a serious effect on security of supply in some Member States. As an example, a comparison of the first NAP versions showed that a new power plant would get more free allowances in Germany and Finland than in Denmark - and fewer in Sweden than in Denmark. This is a point of great concern in the Danish power sector. The Association of Danish Energy Companies has estimated that a new gas-fired combined cycle plant in Denmark receives only around 80% of the free allowances it would receive in Germany and Finland. A Danish coal-fired power plant receives only half of the allowances it would receive in Germany and Finland. For both types of plant, a Swedish power plant receives even fewer allowances. 

It appears that there is not much to do in order to reduce uncertainties at least in the near future. Uncertainty regarding future allocations can however affect the investment decisions by companies. A recent report from RIS0 National Laboratory (Morthorst etal. 2005) indicates that uncertainties in the electricity market, including uncertainties in future carbon prices and allocations, may postpone investments in the power sector and reduce the security of Denmark s electricity supply. 

Electricity production from biomass (direct combustion or derived by biofuels) presents some advantages very low cost of the starting material with respect to fossil fuels, zero net CO2 emissions, security of supply and reduction of transport distances when electricity is produced close to the biomass production site. 

DTI (2005) Secretary of State s first report to parliament on security of gas and electricity supply in Great Britain , Department of Trade and Industry, London, July. 

European electricity supply security and nuclear power an overview... 

Despite this warning, electricity supply security is not inevitably compromised in the event of the closure of the Ignalina 2 plant because of the existence of the fossil-fueled 1,800 MW (2006) Lithuanian Power Plant ... 

Hydrogen technologies are mostly still in their infancy. They promise a second energy vector, in addition to electricity, that could allow renewable, nuclear and cleaner coal energy sources to be harnessed for a variety of purposes, most notably transportation. Reduced dependence on oil and natural gas has obvious and mostly positive implications regarding both sustainability and security of supply concerns. On the other hand, a significant amount of research is still needed, and short-term deployment is... 

The electricity transmission grid and the gas transportation system contribute to both short- and long-term security of supply. They connect different sources of supply and therefore increase the availability of flexible and diverse resources that can be accessed to cope with a short-term disruption. They also ensure a better long-term match between energy demand and supply, because what consumers need and buy is delivered energy, the combination of energy and transportation services. They cannot use electricity or gas only provided at some distance to their home or business. 

Left to themselves, markets will expand and erode monopoly positions, but it can take time. This is especially true in electricity and gas where transportation costs can be high and innovation is slow. Public policies can speed up the process by decreasing barriers to trade and to entry. This is the reason why the EU internal energy market was created in 1996. Note that the opening of electricity and gas to competition also requires the creation of a complex series of related markets that must be designed. They bear esoteric names such as day-ahead markets, balancing markets, capacity payments markets, as well as institutions such as explicit auctions, and market coupling. Whenever they are badly conceived or implemented, trade is less efficient and usable cross-border interconnection capacity reduced. Competition is hindered and thus security of supply is reduced. 

This is one area where the EU could make considerable progress at modest cost. The third package of directives related to the gas and electricity markets, once adopted, will contribute to such progress. As a consequence, a quick, full, and cooperative implementation of the new package would be an important step to improve the EU security of supply. 

Maintaining electrical supply is vital during any emergency. First responders are aided in their efforts by the availability of light, communications, operating equipment, and active security controls. Electrical supply to the laboratory should be provided at three levels ... 

The dramatic escalation in crude oil prices since 1973, and the realisation that reserves of crude oil cannot continue indefinitely to supply the fraction of world energy they have traditionally supplied, have set the stage for major changes in the supply/demand outlook. Price, availability and security of supply considerations have led to both extensive energy conservation measures and to progressive replacements of oil-based fuels by coal, gas and nuclear-based electricity. 

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