Alexis Vessat

Leading French micro-economist in energy markets

[Dirk Egelkraut @realTZV]

#Czechia is preparing building a new nuclear power plant at #Dukovany. But what is the biggest hurdle for the project? Is it the EU? Austria? Financial issues?

The main hurdle seems to be easy to solve in the first place, but it is much more difficult than expected: #Transport #infrastructure. This is an short but very interesting hurdle not many projects really faces today, but back in the past it was for some of them, and now it is also for Dukovany. Many people I talked to wondered why. Here is the explainer:

Dukovany is a pretty remote site to main infrastructure roads. While #Temelín sits between large main roads through the Czech Republic in Southern #Bohemia, the #Moravian landscape is much more difficult and not that well developed. This is a huge power complex sited on a beautiful plateau next to the deep #Jihlava river valley. If you will ever visit the site, you will be stunned like me when I visited the site for the first time years ago.

The original plan was to use the czechoslovakian #VVER way of construction: Large heavy objects delivered by rail and more compact ones by road. But recently, this overall plan collapsed on numerous problems.

1. The rail infrastructure around Dukovany NPP was last modernized in 1989. The space and design of those tracks exceed the weight of most of the equipment. This especially includes the heavy large components like the reactor pressure vessel, the steam generators, the pressurizer and the turbine parts from #Doosan-#Škoda Power in #Plzen.

2. Road is the second option and now the prime option to transport those components. The reactor pressure vessels for EDU 5 and 6 will be the heaviest objects ever transported on #czech roads. To transport these huge elements, traffic lights and other road side stuff will be removed and placed again after each transport. This will add up to expenses.

3. But the main problem is still in place: Roads leading off from Highway 1 (E50) between #Praha and #Brno to Dukovany, are not designed for those loads and withs of the equipment. The main route via Jihlava and #Třebíč to the Dukovany site must be enhanced. Seems like an easy task, but it is actually not. This leads to point 4:

4. The new roads needed are not national roads, but financed by the local #communities. The problem is, the financial burden for those communities to enhance roads is pretty large. Most municipalities will have a financial deficit by building those roads. In the current situation, it is not possible to ensure financing of those roads, which could lead to a real setback of the project in case no other financial source is found.

5. For cities like #Třebíč, who have the money to do so, the discussion of the matter has some bittersweet memories awaken from #communist #Czechoslovakia. When Dukovany NPP was originally built, the city of Třebíč discussed only on party level how to enhance traffic infrastructure for the plant. Originally, the city had a plan for a bypass road around the city. But the communists decided to built a new axis through the town by demolition of 121 mainly single family #homes, including much #historic buildings.

Now, the discussion is the same: A bypass road around the town or widen the main street through the town. And guess what: they are now in favour to go straight to the town, including the demolition of houses. History repeats not in a good way again in Třebíč. And this despite there is a local majority in #favour of a #bypass road not only for Dukovany NPP, but also to repeat the traffic during certain rushour times in the city.

Despite the planning for Dukovany II is prepared very well for years in advance, over a decade now, it seems like @SkupinaCEZ and @strakovka have completely forgotten how to actually get to the Dukovany site with all the stuff they want to built there. And this is the main cause I write about this now, because this topic is now the main agenda to move forward with the construction of Dukovany II. A solution is needed for this proposal asap.

Images: 1: demolition and road construction (which opened in 1983) in Třebíč in the 1980s for Dukovany NPP by Třebíč Občanům. 2: Dukovany II model by CEZ. 3: Me at Dukovany.

[Jean-Michel Glachant @JMGlachant]

75th Staristical Review of World Energy

1
Energy demand growing, and burning of fossil fuels

2
Electricity taking greater role in energy

3
Renewables rapidly gaining ground in electricity

4
Solar power’s stunning growth continues

…/… https://t.co/5Pz5iDc5Yb

[Energie Matin @EnergieMatin]

[#TransitionEnergetique] 📊 151 000 milliards $ d'investissements en infrastructures attendus d'ici 2050 selon PwC, portés par la transition énergétique ⚡, l'IA et l'urbanisation mondiale https://t.co/79W3A0q40C

[Energie Matin @EnergieMatin]

[#Electricité] 📊 La climatisation en Europe ⚡ 🇪🇺 pourrait tripler d'ici 2050 selon l'AIE, créant de nouveaux pics estivaux qui mettent sous tension des réseaux historiquement conçus pour l'hiver. https://t.co/0iDwZ1M043

[IRENA @IRENA]

Renewable energy is helping advance sustainable development by expanding #energyaccess, strengthening local economies & creating more inclusive opportunities for communities around the world. Learn how #renewableenergy is improving lives 👉 https://t.co/Ox9mfQmhhD

[Energie Matin @EnergieMatin]

[#EnR] 🏛 Le Royaume-Uni 🇬🇧 lance l'AR8, 8e appel d'offres annuel pour les énergies renouvelables : prix garanti jusqu'à 20 ans pour développeurs d'éolien 💨 et de solaire ☀️, financé via les factures d'énergie. https://t.co/CX1cwVfOsX

[International Energy Agency @IEA]

A huge surplus in global oil markets going into the Hormuz crisis provided a major cushion against the initial shock

But with global oil inventories falling at a record pace since then, the recovery in flows through the Strait has come at a critical time: https://t.co/axtpHoRuJ6

[OilPrice.com @OilandEnergy]

Talk of an oil glut is back as tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz recovers and OPEC boosts output. But millions of barrels must first replenish depleted global inventories, while uncertainty over future Hormuz transit tolls keeps geopolitical risk alive. #Oil #OOTT #Brent

https://t.co/xpgPlvvxK1

[Bilanzgruppen Mgmt @APCS_AGCS_AuB]

Cross Border Electricity flows in Austria. Export-Import Overview for the 6th of July. In total 34.4 GWh were exported and 68.6 GWh imported. Daily Net-Export: -34.1 GWh.

[Energy4Europe 🇪🇺 @Energy4Europe]

On 29 June, @cinea_eu launched the 6th call for projects seeking Cross-Border Renewable Energy (CB RES) status⚡

It's the final opportunity to apply for CB RES status under the 2021–2027 funding period.

📌 the call is open until 06/10

👉https://t.co/zZwt63PH8d

#CEFEnergy

[World Bank Energy @WBG_Energy]

Coal is making an unexpected comeback.

Disruptions to natural gas supplies linked to the Middle East conflict pushed utilities back toward coal, sending prices sharply higher.

Read more:
http://
https://t.co/4KeVpXKCiI

[Bilanzgruppen Mgmt @APCS_AGCS_AuB]

Yesterday, locally generated renewable electricity covered 98.3% of total electricity generation in Austria. This corresponds to 82.6% of Austrian final consumption yesterday.

[pv magazine France @pvmagfrance]

Reden met le solaire au service des cultures bio: Le producteur d’énergie renouvelable Reden a procédé à la mise en service de deux nouvelles serres agrivoltaïques, l’une en Charente-Maritime,… https://t.co/YLeIM3hT6u #ÉnergiesRenouvelables #Photovoltaïque #TransitionÉnergétique

[Giovanni Staunovo🛢 @staunovo]

EIA estimates a total of around 13.20mbpd of supplies were offline in June versus 16.74mbpd in May
#oott

[Maxime Sagot @maximsagot]

La Ministre de l'Energie Maud Bregeon a réuni ce jour l'équipe de France de l'électrification pour un point d'étape de la mise en œuvre du plan gouvernemental d'avril dernier.

10 mesures sur 22 ont déjà été mises en œuvre, les autres sont en cours d'exécution, et de nouvelles mesures sont annoncées. https://t.co/lVS6ToeEyr

[Ember @ember_energy]

OVER 80% of global coal mine #methane emissions went UNREPORTED to the UNFCCC in 2023 — only 23 of 73 coal-producing countries submitted data.

31 million tonnes of methane was left out of official accounts.

https://t.co/F5BURGSfwH

[Jean-Michel Glachant @JMGlachant]

Energy transition or energy addition?

The London-based Energy Institute has released its annual Statistical Review of World Energy
( the industry bible published by oil and gas giant BP until 2023 and now in its 75th year: 66 pages)

https://t.co/5Pz5iDc5Yb

[Reuters Energy and Commodities @ReutersCommods]

Oil prices gain as focus shifts to supply recovery and demand https://t.co/7Z4LWupDzt

[Giovanni Staunovo🛢 @staunovo]

Renewables Hit Record Share of India Power Mix as Coal Flatlines
https://t.co/GlRjNDmeVr

[OilPrice.com @OilandEnergy]

Indian state refiners are weighing a return to Iranian crude if the U.S. extends its sanctions waiver beyond August 21. For now, uncertainty over U.S. policy and lower Gulf crude prices are keeping buyers on the sidelines. #Oil #India #Iran #OOTT

https://t.co/vGG5lwxcM6