The Concept of Base‐Load Power

Matching base-load power stations to base-load demand is useful in electricity supply based predominantly on coal or nuclear power. To meet the peaks in demand and to help fill the gap in supply when a base-load power station breaks down unexpectedly, peak-load power stations are used. Two types of peak-load power station are gas turbines and hydroelectric stations. They have low capital costs in dollars per kilowatt of rated generating capacity, but high running costs, because the fuels they burn-natural gas, oil, or renewable equivalents are much more expensive than the coal or uranium fuelling base-load power stations. In the few countries with very large hydroelectric capacity, hydro can be operated as base-load power. Renewable electricity supply systems need mix of flexible and variable technologies such as smart meters and other smart devices. Even without any base-load power stations they can be as reliable as conventional supply systems.