New Jersey nuke retirement may boost gas demand
Exelon Energy this week retired its 645MW Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Forked River, New Jersey, a long-anticipated move that could result in higher demand for natural gas.
The plant's shutdown could lead to a 179mn cf/d (5mn m³/d) increase in natural gas demand if the lost output was replaced by natural gas-fired generation, according to an Argus analysis.
Oyster Creek will be the sixth nuclear power plant to retire in the US in the past five years. Nuclear generators have struggled in recent years to keep their aging plants economically viable amid the rise of more efficient natural gas and cleaner renewable generation, a factor that may have hastened Oyster Creek's shutdown.
The plant, located 50 miles (80km) east of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, began service in December 1969, making it the oldest commercially operated nuclear power plant in the US. Exelon in 2010 said it would retire Oyster Creek in December 2019 even though the plant's license is not set to expire until 2029. But the company in February announced it would shut this fall at the end of its fueling cycle.
The plant is one of four nuclear power stations in the US that have planned retirement dates more than a decade before their operating licenses are set to expire.
One factor in the decision to shut Oyster Creek early was estimated costs of more than $800mn to install cooling towers in order to meet new environmental standards, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
New Jersey is home to two other nuclear power plants: the 1,179MW Salem Generating Station and the 1,200MW Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Station. Oyster Creek alone represents 15pc of the state's total installed nuclear capacity and about 7pc of its electricity production, the EIA said.
Related news posts
Dutch government eyes gas storage levy from 2026
Dutch government eyes gas storage levy from 2026
London, 18 September (Argus) — The Dutch government has proposed a new levy from 2026 to recoup the cost of filling the Bergermeer gas storage facility since 2022 in its 2025 budget plan. The government's draft budget presented on Tuesday said that preparations were ongoing to introduce a levy on booked capacity on top of gas system operator GTS' transport tariffs. The levy would apply to both domestic users and "users abroad" to ensure that "the costs associated with the gas storage filling measures are borne by the users who benefit from the filling of storages", the government said. The levy is expected to generate €146.7mn/yr ($163mn/yr) from 2026 until at least 2029, according to the draft budget. That phrasing suggests that the levy may not take effect before 2026. The government tasked state-owned holding company EBN with filling Bergermeer to 90pc of capacity in summer 2022 if market participants failed to do so, and has left that legal requirement in place until 2025. And the Dutch government's draft budget earmarks more money for the stockbuild in coming years, amounting to about €256mn for 2025 and €233mn for 2026, up from €67mn in 2023 and €105mn in 2024. The Hague's new coalition government has focussed on gas security of supply, proposing further steps to support domestic production and ensure that storages are filled. As part of this, it intends to propose legislation to prevent and react to an energy supply crisis, while aiming to reduce demand, maintain LNG capacity and focus on long-term contracts, the government said. The government also plans to amend the mining act, the gas act and other existing laws to "structurally safeguard the security of gas supply", it said. In its government programme released on Friday , the cabinet said it was examining how the government could more proactively ensure the gas stockfill. All the country's storage sites remain "crucial for guaranteeing security of supply and realising energy independence", the budget said. This includes the country's largest storage site at Norg, where the government compensates operator Nam — a 50:50 joint venture between Shell and ExxonMobil — to use the facility to ensure security of supply . The government has paid Nam €491mn for that this year, down from €757mn a year earlier, because of lower gas prices, the budget shows. The German government implemented a similar storage levy in 2022 to recoup the cost of filling storage sites ahead of the winter heating season. But after EU pressure from central and eastern European neighbours regarding the large negative impacts of the levy on their effort to diversify away from Russian gas, the German government decided to stop charging the levy on outbound flows from the beginning of next year. By Lucas Waelbroeck Boix and Till Stehr Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Hoekstra to face 'tough' EU parliamentary hearings
Hoekstra to face 'tough' EU parliamentary hearings
Brussels, 18 September (Argus) — EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, who has been nominated again for the role, is expected to face "tough" hearings in the European Parliament, according to a senior European official. The official told Argus that Hoekstra might have a "slight" advantage, as he underwent parliamentary hearings in 2023 when he took over fellow Dutchman Frans Timmermans' climate portfolio. At the time, Hoekstra was questioned extensively about past work with Shell and on climate issues. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen put forward new commissioner candidates on 17 September, assigning Hoekstra the climate, net-zero, and clean growth portfolio. All candidates will undergo hearings before the EU parliament votes on the new commission line-up. Hoekstra has said he is "honoured and humbled", but formal appointment depends on how he performs during the hearings before the European Parliament's energy, environment and other committees. Hoekstra's mandate would include drafting legislation to enshrine a 90pc cut in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040, from 1990 levels, into European law. The commission's 2040 target, revealed in February, referred to a "net GHG emissions reduction of 90pc". Hoekstra last year made a "personal" commitment to defend a "minimum target of at least 90pc" net GHG cuts. Von der Leyen has tasked Hoekstra with designing climate policies for the post-2030 period and developing an Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act. Other key objectives include channelling investment toward net-zero infrastructure and ensuring revenues from the EU's emissions trading system (ETS) are used "effectively" to drive decarbonisation. Hoekstra's responsibilities extend to advancing a single market for CO2, boosting carbon removals for hard-to-abate sectors, and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies. Hoekstra would work closely with former Danish climate minister Dan Jorgensen, who is nominated for the energy and housing portfolio, if both are appointed. Jorgensen will be responsible for advancing the Electrification Action Plan for industrial transition and overseeing a roadmap to phase out Russian energy imports. He is tasked with ensuring the "full use" of joint procurement mechanisms, with a mandate to extend the current aggregated demand system from gas to include hydrogen and potentially other commodities. Supervising both Hoekstra and Jorgensen, in addition to von der Leyen, will be Teresa Ribera, Spain's former climate minister. Ribera has been nominated as executive vice-president for a clean, just and competitive transition. European Parliament officials expect to receive financial declarations and other procedural documents in the coming days. That will allow parliamentary committees to send written questions to Hoekstra and other nominated commissioners, officially kicking off the hearing process. By Dafydd ab Iago Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
EU needs future power grids task force: Ember
EU needs future power grids task force: Ember
London, 18 September (Argus) — The EU must put in place a future grid task force to bring together scattered legislation and directives, so the bloc can better implement its power grid roadmap and integrate renewable capacity, according to UK-based think-tank Ember. Integrating intermittent renewables into the power grid adequately will require substantial upgrades to the power network across the continent. This is a political priority for the EU but responsibility is shared across a number of European governmental bodies, Ember said. Most of the 80 action points laid out in EU policy and legislation are the European Commission's responsibility, but some objectives are overseen by EU distribution system body DSO Entity, European grid operators association Entso-E, energy regulators' agency Acer, the EU's High-Level Forum on European Standardisation, and individual member states. The policy framework is a "positive step", Ember said. But significant grid work and modernisation are needed, which would be best met through a single body that can ensure "timely and effective" delivery, according to Ember. A dedicated task force would centralise policy support and monitoring through a single channel, provide access to financing from the European Investment Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and develop a clear roadmap for all actions that are currently in the commission's remit. The need for a roadmap is significant as several of the commission's targets do not have scheduled completion dates, Ember said. The EU must centralise funding access for member states and grid operators to ensure stakeholders can use as much of the funding available to them as possible, according to Ember. Funding is currently underutilised and spread across several financial instruments. In addition to uniting these instruments, the access mechanisms should be streamlined and administrative burdens reduced so that stakeholders of varying sizes can utilise these funds. The EU should provide targeted funding for pilot projects on grid digitalisation, and then create a "technical toolbox" to support the digitalisation of distribution grids. The toolbox would detail best practice approaches, standardisation guidelines and interoperability technologies to ease digitalising the power network. These innovative grid technologies (IGTs) or grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) use existing infrastructure to improve renewable integration while reducing overall investment needs. IGT and GET technologies could improve renewable integration with costly network upgrades by as much as 40pc, according to a study by Latvian grid operator AST. By Daniel Craig Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Indonesian Sumsel 1 coal-fired unit eyes December start
Indonesian Sumsel 1 coal-fired unit eyes December start
Manila, 18 September (Argus) — The first 300MW unit of the 600MW Sumsel 1 mine-mouth coal-fired power plant in Indonesia's south Sumatra province is scheduled to begin commercial operations in December following several years of delays. The plant, which is located in Muara Enim regency, is being developed by China Shenhua Energy and Lion Power Energy, which have 75pc and 25pc respective stakes in the project. Once fully operational it is expected to consume around 2-3mn t/yr of coal. Lion will be responsible for sourcing the coal. The $750mn plant is part of Indonesia's 35GW power generation roadmap developed by the Indonesian government in 2015. The project was contracted to China Shenhua Energy in 2016. The first unit at the plant was originally scheduled for completion by 2020. But land acquisition delays and the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting restrictions on the movement of people and travel bans delayed construction, Lion said. Construction work on the plant structure is now in the final stages and operational testing is expected to begin soon. But hitting the operational target date also depends on the completion of a 275kV high-voltage line that will connect the plant to the grid, state-owned utility PLN said. The 80km transmission line will pass through four districts in south Sumatra. The local government is pushing for the acceleration of the voltage line construction and has instructed the sub-district head and local government offices to provide support for the power line construction, PLN said. Sumsel 1, once fully operational, will operate on a build-own-operate basis with a 25-year power supply contract with PLN, the utility said. By Antonio delos Reyes Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Business intelligence reports
Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.
Learn more