Published on: December 11, 2024 / Update from: December 11, 2024 - Author: Konrad Wolfenstein
Are baseload power plants necessary in relation to renewable energies? – Image: Xpert.Digital
Renewable energies on the rise: Is the era of baseload power plants over?
Nuclear and coal-fired power plants under pressure: How the energy transition is changing the base load
Baseload power plants play a central role in traditional energy supply as they provide the constantly required electrical power (baseload). These power plants, such as nuclear and coal-fired power plants, run continuously and produce electricity at low variable costs. But with the expansion of renewable energies (RE), their necessity is increasingly being questioned.
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Why baseload power plants have been necessary so far
Baseload power plants were essential to meet the minimum demand in the electricity grid. They are technically designed to produce electricity around the clock and to be economically efficient when operated continuously. Typical examples are brown coal and nuclear power plants as well as run-of-river power plants. However, these technologies are not very flexible and can only respond to fluctuating demand or feed-in of renewable energy to a limited extent.
Challenges posed by renewable energies
Renewable energies such as wind and solar energy depend on the weather and do not generate electricity constantly, but fluctuate. These properties make them technically incapable of base load in the classic sense. Nevertheless, they can reliably secure the power supply through intelligent grids, storage technologies and additional flexible power plants.
The energy transition has led to a reduction in the need for rigid base-load power plants. Instead, the concept of “residual load” is becoming more important: the portion of electricity demand that cannot be covered by renewable energy is covered by flexible power plants such as gas power plants or hydrogen gas turbines.
Are baseload power plants still necessary?
Studies show that an energy system based on renewable energies can also function without base-load power plants. A mix of solar and wind energy combined with storage (e.g. battery storage or hydrogen), flexible load control and residual load power plants can ensure security of supply. The integration of base-load power plants would only make sense if they were economically competitive - which is often not the case due to high investment costs.
Residual load power plants are power plants that are used to cover the so-called residual load. The residual load is the part of the electricity demand that remains after deducting the feed-in from fluctuating renewable energies such as wind and solar energy. These power plants play a central role in an energy system that is increasingly characterized by renewable energies, as they ensure security of supply.
Types of residual load power plants
- Gas power plants: They are considered particularly suitable because they can be started up or shut down quickly.
- Biogas plants: This renewable energy source can also contribute flexibly to covering the residual load.
- Hydroelectric power plants (e.g. pumped storage power plants): They store excess electricity and release it again when needed.
Alternative approaches to securing the power supply
- Storage technologies: Pumped storage power plants, large batteries or hydrogen storage can compensate for fluctuations between production and consumption.
- Flexibility in the network: Intelligent networks (smart grids) enable better control of supply and demand.
- Residual load power plants: These only run when needed and often use lower-emission technologies such as hydrogen or biomethane.
- Diversification: A broad mix of decentralized renewable energy sources reduces dependence on individual technologies.
Baseload power plants are no longer absolutely necessary in the context of an energy system dominated by renewable energies. Security of supply can be guaranteed through a combination of renewable energies, storage, flexible power plants and intelligent grids. The concept of base load is becoming less important in favor of more flexible and sustainable solutions.
Renewable energies are playing an increasingly important role in energy supply, also in connection with base load. However, their contribution to covering the base load differs significantly from that of traditional power plants, as many renewable sources are weather dependent and therefore volatile. Nevertheless, there are various approaches and technologies to enable their integration into baseload supply.
Renewable energy and its role in baseload
1. Baseload renewable energy
- Run-of-river power plants: These are naturally base load capable as they can generate constant electricity.
- Biomass power plants: They can also provide continuous energy and are therefore considered base load capable.
- Geothermal power plants: These use geothermal energy and offer reliable, constant electricity generation.
2. Limited baseload capability of wind and solar energy
- Wind and solar power plants are weather dependent and therefore not constantly available. However, offshore wind power plants are considered to be almost capable of base load due to their high full load hours.
- The so-called “dark doldrums” (no wind and no sunlight) represent a problem that must be compensated for by storage solutions or other technologies.
3. Storage technologies and flexibility
- To compensate for fluctuations in wind and solar energy, storage solutions such as battery storage, pumped storage power plants or hydrogen storage are used. These technologies make it possible to store excess energy and release it when needed.
- Intelligent networks (smart grids) can optimize the feed-in of renewable energy and close gaps in the supply.
4. Changed concept of base load:
- With the expansion of renewable energies, the traditional concept of a rigid base load is increasingly being replaced by a more flexible system. Instead of a constant basic supply, the aim is to dynamically balance supply and demand.
- The combination of different renewable energy sources (e.g. wind, solar, biomass) can ensure a stable supply because they partially complement each other.
challenges
- The expansion of storage and flexible networks is crucial to enable the integration of renewable energies into baseload supply.
- Bridging technologies such as gas power plants are temporarily needed to close supply gaps.
- In the long term, a system based entirely on renewable energy could be possible if technological advances in storage and grid management are made.
Renewable energies can make an important contribution to the base load through suitable combinations, storage technologies and intelligent grid control. However, the traditional concept of a rigid baseload is increasingly being replaced by more flexible approaches.
Conventional baseload power plants have always played a central role in energy supply, providing the continuous and minimal amount of electricity that a power grid requires around the clock. This constant energy supply is essential to avoid power outages and ensure grid stability.
Why are conventional base-load power plants (still) necessary?
- Securing the power supply: They guarantee a constant supply of energy, regardless of the time of day or weather conditions. This is particularly important for industrial processes, household appliances in continuous operation (e.g. refrigerators) and public infrastructure such as street lighting.
- Grid stability: Baseload power plants contribute to frequency and voltage stability in the power grid, which is essential for the safe operation of the entire system.
- Low variable costs: These power plants are designed to generate electricity cost-effectively as they are usually operated continuously.
Which power plants cover the base load?
Traditionally, baseload power plants are used that are technically capable of generating electricity over long periods of time:
- Conventional power plants: Coal, nuclear and natural gas power plants dominate here due to their reliability and low variable operating costs.
- Renewable energy: Run-of-river power plants, biomass plants and geothermal power plants can also help cover the base load because they can provide continuous energy.
Future prospects
With the transition to renewable energy, the role of baseload power plants is being reassessed:
- Volatile generators such as wind and solar are not base load capable because their production is weather dependent. Their integration therefore requires storage solutions or complementary technologies such as power-to-gas or virtual power plants.
- Storage technologies such as battery storage or pumped storage power plants are becoming increasingly important in order to compensate for fluctuations and make renewable energies capable of supporting base loads.
- Future without traditional base-load power plants: Scenarios show that an energy system can also function without traditional base-load power plants if renewable energies are efficiently networked and stored.
Conventional baseload power plants currently remain indispensable for a stable energy supply. At the same time, their importance is being supplemented or replaced by innovative technologies and sustainable solutions as part of the energy transition.
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