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Electricity supply to Jersey under threat.

TPTB in France have threatened to cut of the power to the island of Jersey as part of an ongoing dispute.


Jersey is very reliant on power from France via several submarine cables.

What I can not find is any up to date information on 

Maximum demand on Jersey

Average demand.

On island generating capacity.

Contingency plans for extra generation.

Contingency plans for load shedding.


I would urge that we confine ourselves to the strictly ELECTRICAL aspects and refrain from political or brexit related arguments.
  • broadgage:

    TPTB in France have threatened to cut of the power to the island of Jersey as part of an ongoing dispute.


    Jersey is very reliant on power from France via several submarine cables.

    What I can not find is any up to date information on 

    Maximum demand on Jersey

    Average demand.

    On island generating capacity.

    Contingency plans for extra generation.

    Contingency plans for load shedding.


    I would urge that we confine ourselves to the strictly ELECTRICAL aspects and refrain from political or brexit related arguments.


    Be careful, or you'll end up in the uninhabited Netherworld.


    Z.


  • Solution.

    youtube two ronnies fork handles - Bing


    Z.
  • I thought Jersey now had a link with Guernsey as well to enable them to share generating capacity maybe this link isn't operational yet  I just don't know
  • It is,

    Jersey plugs into France, and Gurnsey is plugged into Jersey ?. It's a big ol' extension lead.

    But for some time neither island has had enough local generation and fuel storage to run at full power long term, the intention is more to be able to ride out an occasional  short power cut and/or  keep essentials operational for a longer outage.

    Since 2011 around 5% of the supply is from  Government of Jersey-owned Energy from Waste Plant.


    There are three undersea supply cables from France to Jersey , know as Normandie 1, 2 and 3, total  ~ 245MW . As this is mostly  nuclear and hydro-power it is declared as low carbon imported energy for the purposes of carbon quota.

    .
    JEC publish some stats for units imported, generated etc.


    Generation at La Collette, from diesel engines and gas turbines, and gas turbines at Queen's Road are fired up for back-up and maintainence, and remain in place primarily for strategic security of supply.  

    N3 100MW installed 2014

    .


    N1 is 100MW installed 2016


    N2 is an older 100MW rated cable installed around 2000 - mentioned  in passing on the CIEG website


    This power is  shared with Guernsey as partners in the Channel Islands Electricity Grid. (CIEG) Jersey has access to up to 202MW. The link Guernsey to Jersey cable rated for 60MW , is known as GJ1 and supplies 80-90% of their electricity in a typical year, the St Sampson power station is maintained as a back up

    some consumption and finance data from Guernsey Electricity



    There are various solar programs on both islands but they are far from enough to do more than skim the peaks.


    based mostly on data that is available at the JEC website



     Mike


    PS edited in phases

  • Normandie 3 is a High Voltage Alternate Current (HVAC) 90 kV link.  Prysmian Group did the cable for it in 2013


    Normandie 1 is another  90 kV 3 core cable    (prysmian did that one as well.)



    In French HV distribution,  a voltage of 90kV phase to phase AC without neutral  is a standard level used as an intermediate level of distribution / transmission , much as 132/ 33kV is used in the UK

    French voltages of 'transport electrique' are 400kV, 225KV then 63 or 90kV for regional, and 20kV and then local distribution at 400/230 with neutral as we would recognise.

    Like us they have preferred levels at which generation of different sizes may be added - so 10- 40MW stations might feed in at 90kV, and smaller sites in the 0.25-10MW range at 20kV, and less than that,  down to the odd roof top solar feed in at 400/230.



    Figure from Distribution-HTA-cours.pdf ( in French.. ) 


    f5917aefb312911156bd5147a5c6fb9c-original-french-hv.png



  • mapj1:

    Jersey plugs into France, and Gurnsey is plugged into Jersey ?. It's a big ol' extension lead.


    So does England!


    According to the BBC, so it must be true, Jersey can cope at the moment. At this time of year they will be nicely between the need for winter heating and summer cooling.


  • Interesting I never knew much about French distribution arrangements i know I've got it in my mind that the electricity there is not very reliable having once been on a daytrip to Dinard from Jersey and the courier told us that its was likely that the power would go off in the restaurant we were in  as it did so several times a day. Bad for them ad cooking was all electric no gas in that part of town. I seem to remember that the link from Isle of man to the UK is a 90 Kv cable as well
  • There was actually talk of a UK Guernsey interconnector at one point, but it would almost certainly need to be DC

    ( as an aside I think the Isle of Man have the current world record for the longest 3 phase AC undersea extension lead, at about 60 miles at 90kV phase to phase and 40MW  Alan Capon would know better as he lives there )


    Personally I  think the impracticality of the UK Guernsey route plus a general restriction of the wallet means that it will remain at the 'draft plan' stage.

    The briefest look at the map suggests it would make more sense to hook up the other channel islands first, or even to install wind turbines in the sea nearby.

    Mike


  • In the middle of a dark night a big trawler could wreak havoc with that cable.
  • Lots of information there Mike, but it did surprise me that the channel islands were not more self sufficient.

    Legh