Wind power plus methane

Wind power plus renewable methane can be scaled up to supply all the electricity

Investors worldwide find that wind turbines produce predictable power with carbon savings. World wind power increased by nearly 45 GW in 2012, to 283 GW.

This was under many different financial regimes, including declining and zero incentives. For example, Dong Energy of Denmark is spending $ 1.8 billion a year on offshore wind projects, including in the UK, without Contracts for Difference. . Multi-megawatt wind turbines are available from several world-class suppliers, including GE, Siemens and Vestas. Moreover, GE, Siemens and MHI of Japan offer fast-starting, flexible and efficient gas-fired plants for generating balancing power. Further to 'The Merits of Methane' (Letters, PE, September), Audi is completing a 6.3 MWe 'power-to-gas' plant at Werlte in Germany, powered by 4 x 3.6 MWe Siemens offshore wind turbines. Such renewable methane can recharge the gas grid and underground stores, which hold enough to meet the German electricity demand for months. Wind power plus renewable methane can be scaled up to supply all the electricity, heat and transport energy. As well as phasing out nuclear power, Germany is transforming its energy system to wholly indigenous and zero-carbon, saving the huge cost and carbon emissions of fossil fuels. There are also related developments in Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands and the UK.

See: www.aee.ch/de/aee/publikationen/power-to-gas.html and www.northseapowertogas.com

Gordon Taylor, Ingatestone, Essex

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