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And exporting coal and gas at fire sale prices.
And exporting coal and gas at fire sale prices.Trouble is, Australians just weren't willing to hear the message as to what was coming.
Australia has simply failed to comprehend that mineral resources are finite and once gone, they're gone. For some reason we've an obsession with water and trees, both of which are renewable, forgetting that fossil fuels and metals are the real issues.
Our coal production's peaked too by the way, it's just that most haven't woken up to that yet but it's in decline yes. It's already down more than 10% from the peak.
Now just wait for the real fun to start. When government realises the carbon targets are physically unachievable even if we do use nuclear because electricity isn't the only emissions source, it's not even the majority.
Every time we discussed nuclear energy, i mentioned i was not a fan due to the fact it is not economical if taking into accounts the whole dismantling process.This article explains what I have been mentioning and if correct will blow our hydrogen super power plan completely out of the water.
As usual we are charging off into the great idea and pizz poor planning brain faft territory yet again.
China to build first-ever thorium molten salt nuclear power station in Gobi Desert
China plans to build the world's first-ever nuclear power station using molten salt as the fuel carrier and coolant, and thorium as a fuel source — revealed in a since-deleted report posted on the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics website.www.abc.net.au
According to the report, a prototype TMSR at the same location, which was designed to produce 2 megawatts of thermal energy but no actual electricity, achieved criticality in October last year.
Building on the results of the prototype, the new facility will produce 60MW of heat that will be used to generate 10MW of electricity and hydrogen as part of a larger renewable energy research hub.
The project would "drive the development of a large number of materials and high-end equipment manufacturing technologies", the report said.
Nuclear engineer Tony Irwin, an honorary associate professor at the Australian National University, said the TMSR was an "interesting technology that's got a lot of potential".
He pointed out that the higher operating temperature could also be used to supply process heat for industrial applications.
"[Chinese researchers] tend to go in very conservative steps," he said. "Start off slowly and demonstrate and then carry on for the next one."
There is probably a reason it's out in the Gobi desert...Every time we discussed nuclear energy, i mentioned i was not a fan due to the fact it is not economical if taking into accounts the whole dismantling process.
but thorium makes sense.
I mentioned India then but China will make it better quicker
That or fusion reactors..but not uranium fission...
They do it on the desert because normal nuclear plants need water..as do coal gas water which does not exist thereThere is probably a reason it's out in the Gobi desert...
If China can get it to work, good luck to them, but should we buy one?
It would be like buying from GWM, cheap but very risky.
Virtual power points for virtual plants and virtual wealth and economy..sadly the losses are real, poor buggers with batteries pay assets, maintenance and are charged for the privilege...Virtual power plants are coming , if not already here.
South Australia gets a mention.
Yes another example of reality catching up with ideology.In somewhat of a surprise, Victoria has done an about face on gas closure, and now will allow those with existing gas appliances after
excising home gas cookers form its zero net roadmap.
From Evil Murdoch press
View attachment 183953
That's what happens when national interests are sold out to commercial interests.Not power generation related, but another energy intensive process under strain and no doubt the ruler will be out to measure the financial viability.
I think the penny is dropping everywhere, doing business where energy is required, is going to be a big problem in Australia.
Yet another case in the conga line of companies getting nervous.
GFG Alliance reduces maintenance at Whyalla Steelworks to save on costs as alarm raised over safety concerns at aging plant - ABC News
amp-abc-net-au.cdn.ampproject.org
Local MP Eddie Hughes said workers had raised with him their concerns about safety and "the state of the plant".
"It's no secret, anybody that works there knows that the level of maintenance has not been commensurate with the nature of the plant and the age of the plant," he said.
"There has been very limited preventative maintenance over an extended period of time, indeed some of this goes back as far as Arrium days and even further.
"With an aging plant, that is a real concern," Mr Hughes said.
The contractor said he was speaking out now because "there's nothing else they can hang over our heads because the work has stopped".
He is concerned GFG Alliance no longer intends to make steel in Whyalla and will soon restructure its operating model.
"Whatever their long-term intent is, it's certainly not to be producing steel here because there's no way they can keep up with the plant with the people they've got," he said.
"The word is they're going to ship in billet [a semi-finished steel product] from overseas and do product through their roll mill, so they're only going to keep the roll mill open to produce the billets into product."
GFG Alliance said it "has invested over $1 billion in Whyalla's operations since 2017 and remains committed to its green iron and steel investment plans".
A lot of energy intensive processing will struggle to be viable in Australia, a lot of processes will be difficult to convert from fossil fueled to electric, add to that their small capacity and it just wont add up.That's what happens when national interests are sold out to commercial interests.
There lies the issue, cost over strategic considerations.Cheaper to import ignots in the required quantity and spec and just heat and roll them here.
But coking coke is used to bring carbon inA lot of energy intensive processing will struggle to be viable in Australia, a lot of processes will be difficult to convert from fossil fueled to electric, add to that their small capacity and it just wont add up.
Cheaper to import ignots in the required quantity and spec and just heat and roll them here.
Iron and steel has always been private sector territory, but making low emission blast furnaces for pig iron will cost a lot and I don't think will ever happen in Australia.
Electric arc steel furnaces have been in use for a long time.
Interesting times ahead.
That's what the politicians appear to be neglecting, Chinese batteries underpinning our electrical grid, no serious manufacturing ability to supply arms and munitions to the armed forces if there is a conflict, yet plenty of money to buy a few nuclear subs.There lies the issue, cost over strategic considerations.
How can we be sure our supply lines will always be open with the elephant of the world taking over whatever it can because it can?
IMV we are sleepwalking into an uncertain future where costs are the only things that matter. Sure, they matter but we can't be blind to what is happening on the global scale.
This is the key bit, it needs to fit together as an overall approach.Doesn't seem to add up to a cohesive plan IMO.
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