When One Absolutely, Positively Needs Reliable Electricity, One Goes With Fossil Fuel -- January 24, 2016; Diesel Fuel Demand Rising -- EIA; US Distillate Consumption At 10-Year Low -- January 24, 2016

This reminds me of the old commercial, "When it absolutely, positively has to be there ...."

When one's electricity source absolutely, positively has to be there, one does not choose intermittent energy; one goes with reliable GE gas-powered turbines. Reuters is reporting:

For years, crippling electricity shortages have plagued Pakistan, creating challenges for residents and businesses alike, and fixing the problem has become a priority for the Federal Government of Pakistan. To address this, GE will provide two high-efficiency 9HA gas turbines, one steam turbine and two heat recovery steam generators to .... PowerChina, for the new 1.2 gigawatt Haveli Bahadur Shah power plant.

The steam turbine and HRSGs have been engineered by Alstom, and with GE’s recent acquisition of Alstom’s power and grid businesses, they have been incorporated into GE’s portfolio. PowerChina will handle engineering, procurement and construction of the plant.

Regardless of where one stands on the issue of intermittent energy, it is obvious that intermittent energy is a "luxury" only rich countries can afford. And regardless of how much money a country has, when that country absolutely, positively needs uninterruptible electricity, one goes with fossil fuel.

Inshallah.

*************************

Hydrogen -- An EIA Energy Cookie

Reported a few days ago, I'm still clearing out my in-box:

Refineries use hydrogen to lower the sulfur content of diesel fuel. Refinery demand for hydrogen has increased as demand for diesel fuel has risen both domestically and internationally, and as sulfur-content regulations have become more stringent.

EIA data show that much of the growth in hydrogen use at refineries is being met through hydrogen purchased from merchant suppliers rather than from increased hydrogen production on-site at the refinery. The increased use of purchased hydrogen has implications for the refining industry's use of natural gas as a feedstock…Comparing 2008 and 2014, on-site refinery hydrogen production changed very little (less than 1%), while hydrogen supplied by merchant producers increased by 135. --- EIA

For a distillate fuel oil definition, see this link. 

"Demand for diesel fuel has risen...." --- they must be talking about long-term trends. I was not aware of an increasing demand for diesel domestically right now .. this is what John Kemp is reporting about diesel fuel demand, last week:

US distillate consumption is at 10-year record lows.  

Link here.

A couple of weeks ago:

Previous week:

 

It's bad enough that NASA/NOAA recalibrated thermometers and moved thermometers to new locations to help support the global warming story, but when agencies like the EIA grossly mis-interpret the data, it's pretty frustrating. Maybe I'm mis-reading something. It wouldn't be the first time I mis-read something.

For more on high-low sulfur oil see this link.