Knobby22
Mmmmmm 2nd breakfast
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Good news!
Good news!As I said a long time ago, the obvious answer for the World to go to clean generation and do it in a sustainable way, would be to supplement renewables with SMR which run flat out 24/7 and either supply the load or generate H2 when the renewables are sufficient.
Well it looks like Europe might be heading that way, the EU is set to grant nuclear energy an exemption under its rules for producing renewable hydrogen.
Earlier this month, the European Parliament made the historic decision to label investments in nuclear energy as green, marking a major breakthrough for energy transition and security in the EU.EU decision to label nuclear ‘green’ is key to energy transition and autonomy - Euractiv
With the recent European Parliament vote to include nuclear in a list of green investments, it is essential for investors to act quickly and support EU nuclear projects to ensure energy security, writes Timur Tillyaev.www.euractiv.com
Hungary calls to accept nuclear energy as a source of clean hydrogen - CEENERGYNEWS
While the importance of green hydrogen in sectoral decarbonisation is unquestionable, Hungary calls to acknowledge the potential in hydrogen produced from nuclear energy.ceenergynews.com
A day after the European Commission adopted its long-awaited hydrogen strategy, Poland also announced to take some important steps regarding its own hydrogen agenda, by signing a letter of intent with the major energy and transport companies on the Polish market. Now Hungary also voiced its opinion on the holy grail of the energy industry.
“Hungary believes that hydrogen is indispensable to achieve climate neutrality by 2050,” stressed Péter Kaderják, Hungarian Minister of State for Energy and Climate Policy during the meeting of EU ministers responsible for research and innovation.
While the importance of green hydrogen in sectoral decarbonisation is unquestionable, Hungary calls to acknowledge the potential in hydrogen produced from nuclear energy.
I hope I'm still around when it happens, it wont be any time soon in Australia, but when Europe sets the trend I think a lot of countries will follow the leadGood news!
Great read that little bamfrocks piece.I expect we'll see another power station's life extended past the presently announced closure date so as to keep the lights on. It'll just need someone (that is, government) to agree to (1) bail out any financial loss and (2) take the political heat over emissions and "shield" the company from any criticism by directing criticism straight back to the government. Got to walk the tightrope of activist investors and the media you see, something that gets a lot easier if you're doing it under the orders of government.
Second bit is, of course, negotiable if the first bit delivers a big enough profit to the owner. Therein sits the basis for negotiation - politics versus money.
But that said, well there's no denying that the overall trend with all this isn't in the right direction. There's a lot of running around in ever decreasing circles juggling things here and the options are fast running out.
For anyone who'd like to know a bit about the history of tunnel boring machines in Australia, the following explains it well enough. I've no association with the individual who wrote it from their own personal perspective but worth a read for those interested in some background (this long pre-dates the SH2 project):
In case anyone's lost as to the reason for mentioning tunnel boring machines, well no doubt that will become apparent.....
Great read that Baz, however, i would question one part of it.AS usual innovation in battery technology is moving right along. This seems a giant jump in making flow batteries cost effective. The improvement in cost efficiency is dramatic.
Engineers Reveal Flow Battery Cell Breakthrough
By Brian Westenhaus - Feb 10, 2023, 2:00 PM CST
- Georgia Tech engineers have unveiled a breakthrough flow battery cell configuration that could have huge implications.
- The new development will reduce the size and cost of entire flow batteries.
- This tech is sure to get lots better, and with this research showing a huge improvement, likely another wave of effort could come quickly.
Engineers Reveal Flow Battery Cell Breakthrough | OilPrice.com
Engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created a compact flow battery cell that could revolutionize how homes and buildings are poweredoilprice.com
Having just installed two 10kw/hr RFX flow batteries for a sum of$24,000, a quick calculation has them retailing at closer $1200 per killowat/hr.Flow batteries offer a solution. Electrolytes flow through electrochemical cells from storage tanks in this rechargeable battery. The existing flow battery technologies cost more than $200/kilowatt hour and are too expensive for practical application,
Just on the snowy 2.0 problems, it seems that the rather big nd expensive tunnel boring machine did not really progress very far.Origin Energy may delay closing Australia’s largest coal power station, Eraring, in 2025 amid fears of power shortages with the Snowy Hydro 2.0 expansion running more than a year late, Macquarie said.
The power giant accelerated the closure of Eraring in NSW’s Hunter Valley by up to seven years to as early as August 2025.
However, delays in bringing on new capacity have stoked expectations the coal plant will now remain open for several more years to protect Australia’s electricity system.
Eraring “is a major issue for NSW, given the delays at Snowy Hydro 2.0. It may be unpalatable, but Eraring may play an important capacity role,” Macquarie analysts said.
The NSW government may ultimately need to step in and provide financial support, according to the broker.
Origin “can benefit from any short-term extension of Eraring, as the government will need to help cover the fixed costs associated with running. A decision will need to be made this year.”
Fears has been growing that the removal of Eraring, which accounts for 20 per cent of the state’s electricity needs, may exacerbate a volatile energy transition and high wholesale power prices if replacement generation has not been installed in time.
The NSW government said it was concerned about the Snowy expansion falling behind schedule, while pointing to plans for its 700 megawatt Waratah Super Battery which will be installed by 2025. It will also launch a competitive tender for an additional 380MW of back-up supply while Origin also plans its own 700MW battery on the Eraring site.
“It’s disappointing that the Commonwealth’s Snowy 2.0 continues to fall behind schedule. The NSW government’s nation-leading renewable energy policy provides a comprehensive approach to building new infrastructure to replace ageing power stations,” a spokeswoman for Energy Minister Matt Kean said.
A satellite picture shows the hole barely moved from the starting point.One of the three tunnel-boring machines working on Australia's biggest renewable energy project, Snowy 2.0, is stuck.
Tunnel-Boring Machine (TBM) Florence hit soft ground in Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales in December and ground to a halt.
The incident caused a hole to appear above the machine, measuring approximately 10 metres across and 4 metres deep.
In December, Snowy Hydro announced it was monitoring a "surface depression" above the TBM.
Cooma local Peter Anderson has long been concerned about the environmental impacts of Snowy 2.0 and decided to go in search of the hole.
"It was a bit like trying to find a needle in a haystack, so I started a fair way out and followed the path of the tunnel," Mr Anderson said.
TBM Florence was commissioned in March last year to drill about 15 kilometres through the mountains. At the time, Snowy Hydro said it could travel 30 to 50 metres a day.
"Technically, [TBM Florence] should be 9 kilometres in but I thought I'd start about 3 kilometres out and start walking my way back in," Mr Anderson said.
"Over four days of searching, searching, searching [for the hole], I finally found it, and where it was, was a great shock to me."
TBM roughly 150m into 15km tunnel
Snowy Hydro did not confirm how far the hole is from the tunnel entrance, but satellite data suggests it is roughly 150 metres from the entrance.
In December, Snowy Hydro said TBM Florence was right underneath the hole.
Been waiting for the media to say that.From todays Australian
Makes so much sense. ISomething that @SirRumpole will be interested in, the BP fuel refinery at Kwinana is to be repurposed into a biofuel manufacturing facility.
I thought it may be the site for a battery manufacturing plant, due to its proximity to battery metal production facilities, but apparently not.
Anyway as long as it is made into something useful, productive and employs people, it's all good.
Kwinana is one of five biofuel projects that bp has planned globally. It is expected that these projects will produce around 50 thousand barrels of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil, also known as renewable diesel) per day by 2030.bp plans for biorefinery at Kwinana energy hub reach new milestone | News and insights | Home
bp’s Kwinana refinery is spearheading the company’s expansion of its biofuels business, as West Australian Deputy Premier, the Hon Roger Cook, marks the start of its transition into one of the region’s largest sustainable fuel hubs.www.bp.com
The Kwinana Renewable Fuels project is part of the global multi-billion dollar investment by bp and will see existing refining infrastructure repurposed to produce drop-in fuel products that have the ability over time to support the decarbonisation of aviation and heavy industry, subject to regulatory and State government approvals.
The biorefinery is planned to produce SAF and biodiesel from bio feedstocks by 2026. It will also integrate with the site’s existing import terminal operations and plans for green hydrogen production, which is currently being assessed in a feasibility study.
Frédéric Baudry, president, bp Australia and SVP fuels & low carbon solutions, Asia Pacific said: “Kwinana illustrates the power of the Australian economy and its ability to reinvent itself for the energy transition. This project is the first of its kind globally for bp and a first for Australia. It recognises the importance of our Kwinana site and Western Australia in the energy transition, so we’re thrilled to say bp is progressing with engineering plans for Kwinana.”
“bp has established, global biogas and biofuel businesses that are positioned in an increasingly supportive environment of rapidly growing demand.”
“We plan to integrate the sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel with our current terminal operations, and our future potential green hydrogen project - H2Kwinana.”
As the world seeks lower carbon fuels, bp sees clear opportunities to leverage its portfolio of assets and customer base – with bioenergy one of bp’s transition growth engines. This includes biofuels, sustainable aviation fuel, and biogas.
If they used sugar cane, that would be fine. Other fuels like corn are more problematic, of course food should come firstMakes so much sense. I
n a world where projected food shortages are on the increase, we are going to turn hectares of arable land into feedstock to make biofuels such as diesel and some biogas.
The problem is , burning either of them still produce CO2, which as we all know, is about to increase the temperature of the earth by a world killing 2 degrees centigrade.
Of course the argument is that because they are renewable, i.e. you keep growing feedstock to take the CO2 out of the air , so its carbon nuetral. Well, you could just as easily leave the vegetation that is there and suck Co2 out of the atmosphere while using Nuclear solar, hydrogen to generate the power required, and them be not only neutral, but carbon reductive.
BP is like every other business on the planet, out to make money. They will use whatever means they can to maximise their goals, using ESG as a means to an end, not the end in itself.
Mick
The type of soil, terrain, climate, workforce availability, remoteness, will all determine feedstock can be grown in any area.If they used sugar cane, that would be fine. Other fuels like corn are more problematic, of course food should come first
If they used sugar cane, that would be fine. Other fuels like corn are more problematic, of course food should come first
It all points back to too many people, wanting too many things and coming up with more and more ways to have them.The type of soil, terrain, climate, workforce availability, remoteness, will all determine feedstock can be grown in any area.
Whatever they use, the end result is the same.
You need some of the biodiesel to prepare the ground intitially, then every season.
You use more in planting, more in fertilising, more in weed control, more in harvesting, transporting to processing facility, processing, and redistribution to the markets, some of which may even end up right back on the land where it started.
Its another first problem with first world solutions.
Mick
From todays Australian
Just on the snowy 2.0 problems, it seems that the rather big nd expensive tunnel boring machine did not really progress very far.
from ABC News
A satellite picture shows the hole barely moved from the starting point.
View attachment 153218
From what I have read, these machines cannot reverse, as the engineers shoot concrete on the walls behind them to provide stability, so the machines are too wide t reverse. They either get deconstructed and taken out piece by piece, or end up entoombed forever.
Mick
The difference is that leaving it there yields no energy whereas producing biofuels directly replaces fossil fuel for the end user thus avoiding emissions from its combustion.The problem is , burning either of them still produce CO2, which as we all know, is about to increase the temperature of the earth by a world killing 2 degrees centigrade.
Of course the argument is that because they are renewable, i.e. you keep growing feedstock to take the CO2 out of the air , so its carbon nuetral.
The trouble with politicians is in the name - politics.Well it isn't as though @Smurf1976 hasn't been going on about for a few years, obviously some politicians know better, or just wont listen. The latter is my guess.
So what happens, the Govt sets it all in stone with a deadline to reach an ambitious reduction in emissions, then puts financial constraints on companies supplying fuel.The trouble with politicians is in the name - politics.
Looking at specific plant closures in the reasonably near future:
Liddell (NSW) was 4 x 500 MW when built so 2000 MW total. At present one unit is permanently shut and has been since last year whilst the other three are "officially" de-rated to 420 MW each. Informally however they're de-rated further with two running at 350MW and one at 380MW so 1080MW for the station.
Official closure date for the lot is 1st April 2023 but at this stage it's looking like a small delay and in practice the closures being on the 19th, 25th and 29th of April 2023. So delaying 2.5 - 4 weeks from the previous plan.
For the Eraring station, which is 4 x 720 MW so 2880 MW plus a separate 40 MW gas turbine, the present closure date is set at midnight 18th August 2025 for the 720 MW units. The gas turbine isn't officially part of that plan but most are assuming it also closes in practice at the same time (though that's not certain given the site itself is to remain active as a battery location).
Then there's Torrens Island B (4 x 200MW) in SA planned to shut in 2026 and not long after that Osborne (180MW) also closing.
Then there's Yallourn (1480MW, Vic) and Callide B (700MW, Qld) planned to shut in 2028 and Vales Point B (1320MW, NSW) in 2029.
Torrens Island and Osborne are both gas, others mentioned are all coal.
See hereOne hopes somewhere in this mess, there is a plan
Fuel supplier Viva Energy says it needs clarity about the extent of the Albanese government’s long-term energy market intervention before it can make a final call on building Victoria’s first shipping terminal capable of importing liquefied gas in Corio Bay.
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