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The EU got 52% of its electricity from renewables in second quarter of 2024 (theprogressplaybook.com)

submitted 5 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Offshore wind output surged 37% year on year, hydropower generation grew 21%, solar was up 20%, and onshore wind 6%. On the other hand, coal-fired generation fell 7% and gas output dropped 24%

double digit declines in coal and NG use were also present every earlier month of this year. Europe has by far achieved the biggest emission reductions in the world this year. 16% point market share drop for fossil fuels electricity since just 2023.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Overall that seems like great news.

I am kind of surprised to see that hydropower grew more than solar. I'd have thought that solar with falling prices and relatively easy/flexible installation would be easier to scale, compared to hydro that probably needs specific locations and nowadays might also be under more scrutiny regarding the impact on local ecology.

Onshore only growing by 6% is disappointing and I imagine a lot of it still has to do with resistance from nimby people and the likes?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Hydro is very variable power output. If drought last year then can be a huge jump this year. Hydro in general, globally, averages 45% capacity. A good way to boost that is to use solar to power pumps bringing water up to the high side during the day.

Onshore only growing by 6% is disappointing and I imagine a lot of it still has to do with resistance from nimby people and the likes?

Europe is mostly densely populated. Onshore wind is struggling in west due to noise, but best locations are already taken is an issue as well. Europe does do much better than US given less oil/gas protectionism politics.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Hydro is very variable power output. If drought last year then can be a huge jump this year. Hydro in general, globally, averages 45% capacity.

Yeah that could make sense, although the article doesn't have enough information to know whether or not that is a factor.

A good way to boost that is to use solar to power pumps bringing water up to the high side during the day.

Pump storage is indeed very cool. However if one would count it twice when it is produced by solar and then again when getting it back from the storage, then that would majorly distort the statistic. You'd effectively count the produced amount of energy double (minus whatever efficiency loss you have from storing it).

Europe is mostly densely populated. Onshore wind is struggling in west due to noise, but best locations are already taken is an issue as well.

That is definitely true, however at least where i am from in Germany the NIMBY mentality is still going strong regarding onshore wind turbines. So i am reasonably confident that there would still be some decent spots left.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

Pump storage is indeed very cool. However if one would count it twice when it is produced by solar and then again when getting it back from the storage, then that would majorly distort the statistic. You’d effectively count the produced amount of energy double (minus whatever efficiency loss you have from storing it).

If batteries are charged by renewables, then counting the battery output as renewables is fine, as long as you don't count the charging. Same for pumped storage.

The point though was that existing hydro can be enhanced because it runs at spare capacity. Compared to dedicated pumped storage projects.