Electricity system operating requirements

In industrialized countries the requirement for electrical energy is rising by 6 to 8% annually and in developing countries by 10.15 and even by as much as 20%. In some countries there are still some water power facilities, but in general, the only alternative for covering future power requirements lies in nuclear energy. Power saving by heat pump, solar collector and others will not basically alter this development. Coal, oil and gas today, coal gas and hydrogen tomorrow are other sources of energy especially for process heat and heating. Generators up to 3,000 MW can be accomodated in present and future systems. Larger nuclear units, however, should feed into several separate systems. Means for transportation and distribution of electrical energy are available. The system itself requires the power stations to adjust themselves quickly and automatically to constantly changing loads. Stations must not amplify the effects of any faults. On the other hand, the station itself cannot impose any safety requirements on the system. Moreover, it must always be possible to shut down the station at any time and under any circumstances without any damage being caused. This means that the station can be started up again over a sustained period as required. (HK)