Ukraine-Russia gas UPDATE: Weds: 100% turned off!

[kurt barlow]

I wonder how many CCGT can switch to run on fuel distilates (kerosene and diesel). I know Kings Lynn CCGT can but its planning consent limits it to 60 minutes per week.

Diesel prices could rocket if CCGT plant switch over to distilates.

[adam2]

I wonder how many CCGT can switch to run on fuel distilates (kerosene and diesel). I know Kings Lynn CCGT can but its planning consent limits it to 60 minutes per week.

Diesel prices could rocket if CCGT plant switch over to distilates.

Almost any gas turbine can also run on distilate fuel, the limiting factors are the amount of fuel stored on site, the ease or otherwise of obtaining more, planning permission, and manufacturers warrenty.

In many cases the equipment was optimised for natural gas burning, and the manufacturers warrenty will only cover limited oil burning.

In other cases only limited distilate fuel is stored on site, and obtaining more may be a challenge if the site is not served by rail or pipeline (road transport is not really viable for a large power plant, which will require several large tankers every hour)

Planning restraints could probably be ignored in a real emergency.

[adam2]

The gas was turned on again early morning our time, but appears to have been turned off again
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7826142.stm

[Ben]

Ukraine blocks gas after Russia turns taps on

A spokesman for Ukraine's state gas company Naftogaz said that it had blocked the transit of gas to Europe after it was turned back on because of "unacceptable transit conditions" imposed by the Russian energy giant Gazprom.

European Union monitors confirmed that "little or no" Russian gas was flowing to Europe despite the resumption of deliveries by Gazprom a week after it turned off the supply in a dispute over prices.

Gazprom, which is controlled by allies of the Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin, accused the US of orchestrating Ukraine's actions. "We believed yesterday that the door for Russian gas was open but again it's been blocked by the Ukrainians," said Alexander Medvedev, the deputy CEO of Gazprom, who also claimed that Kiev and Washington had signed an agreement to the detriment of Russia.

"It looks like ... they are dancing to the music which is being orchestrated not in Kiev but outside the country," he added.

Millions of people in 18 European countries have faced almost a week of suffering bitterly cold winter temperatures without any heating or amid severe energy shortages.

Full story The Telegraph, 13 Jan 2008

[Andy Hunt]

Millions of people in 18 European countries have faced almost a week of suffering bitterly cold winter temperatures without any heating or amid severe energy shortages.

I wonder how many people have died so far due to this crisis?

And how is it affecting UK gas supplies?

[Erik]

Millions of people in 18 European countries have faced almost a week of suffering bitterly cold winter temperatures without any heating or amid severe energy shortages.

I wonder how many people have died so far due to this crisis?

I was wondering the same too. Under-reported or simply not known yet?

And how is it affecting UK gas supplies?

I suppose you have to bear in mind that although supplies to Eastern Europe etc have been cut off, a large amount of demand there has been cut off too. The overall remaining potential deficit in gas supplies to Europe has been offset to some extent by additional LNG cargoes that have gone to Italy, Turkey, Greece, S. France (and I guess lower demand due to the economy collapsing all around us, despite the cold).

[JohnB]

When there was a gas cut in England before Christmas, engineers had to visit every affected home before their supply was restored. Is this going to happen in the affected countries, or will the gas suddenly start flowing? It must be a very long job to visit and check all those millions of homes.

[biffvernon]

I expect there are less nannified parts of the world where folk are treated as grown ups and know that when the supply is restored to a non-lit pilot light sensible action is required without an engineer holding one's hand.

[adam2]

I expect there are less nannified parts of the world where folk are treated as grown ups and know that when the supply is restored to a non-lit pilot light sensible action is required without an engineer holding one's hand.

True, I cant imagine the authorities in eastern Europe visting every home before restoring gas.
People were warned to turn the gas off when the supply was interupted, in order to prevent an escape when it is restored.
There will probably be a few accidents though.
Also many soviet era apartment blocks dont have a gas supply to each apartment, they have a comunal heating system for the whole block, probably with an attendant.

Modern gas boilers should be safe if the gas supply is interupted, cookers are a much greater risk since boiling rings are not normally fitted with any flame failure device.

[Keepz]

I expect there are less nannified parts of the world where folk are treated as grown ups and know that when the supply is restored to a non-lit pilot light sensible action is required without an engineer holding one's hand.

Blimey. That's a remarkably cavalier attitude to the safety of gas supply on a forum which regards the slightest flickering in security of gas supply as cause for a screaming wobbly. Also, I thought we despised the intelligence of the general British public or "sheeple" as they're so disobligingly known round here?