The future of energy generation and storage

[SirRumpole]

And even recently, after being connected

Council defends location of flooded $50 million solar farm

Sunshine Coast Council has defended the location of its solar farm after the $50.4 million facility was inundated with floodwaters, despite being built above the 1-in-100-year flood level. The Valdora farm was taken offline for 11 days after rising waters from extreme rainfall lapped the rows of...

www.sunshinecoastnews.com.au

At least the panels would have been cleaned of dust( replaced by mud).

 

[sptrawler]

And even recently, after being connected

Council defends location of flooded $50 million solar farm

Sunshine Coast Council has defended the location of its solar farm after the $50.4 million facility was inundated with floodwaters, despite being built above the 1-in-100-year flood level. The Valdora farm was taken offline for 11 days after rising waters from extreme rainfall lapped the rows of...

www.sunshinecoastnews.com.au

God that is classic.

We will have to call in the South Sea fruit pickers, to polish the panels when the water recedes, there is no way Australians will do it and water blasting will not take them back up to spec.

Oh what a mess, hopefully the mega grid batteries are on high ground.

 

[Smurf1976]

On the subject of solar, I'm not really familiar with the topgraphy of Queensland, but this situation would have to be taken into consideration, that's a lot of flooded areas that wont be accessible.

Drivers and campers rescued as record rain hits Queensland

Several people had to be rescued from floodwaters overnight after record rain fell on parts of Queensland.

www.abc.net.au

On the other hand, it's working rather nicely for the Kareeya hydro scheme, it having achieved an 89.9% capacity factor for the year which exceeds most coal and gas plant.

Now suffice to say it's technically possible to redevelop that scheme. At present there's a little 7MW station and below that the main 86MW station but it's possible to replace those with a new ~1000MW station incorporating a lower pond for pumped storage operation, and at the same time to also increase both the upstream water supply and storage thereof via construction of new dams, tunnels etc.

What that'd do is create a pumped storage scheme for regular (daily) use with a large reserve of water at the top, filled naturally by the river, able to be released during a shortfall of wind and solar generation due to weather. In that case the water won't be re-pumped, it'll go over the spillway of the lower reservoir then down the river, but that isn't a problem since natural river flow returns that water to the scheme in due course.

Trouble is, the usual suspects would have a protest up and running in no time if anyone tried it.

The trouble with renewables isn't that they can't work. Rather it's that we're intent on not building adequate storage and that becomes their weakness, leading to nuclear as plausibly better option. Politically they've been hobbled.

 

[sptrawler]

On the other hand, it's working rather nicely for the Kareeya hydro scheme, it having achieved an 89.9% capacity factor for the year which exceeds most coal and gas plant.

Now suffice to say it's technically possible to redevelop that scheme. At present there's a little 7MW station and below that the main 86MW station but it's possible to replace those with a new ~1000MW station incorporating a lower pond for pumped storage operation, and at the same time to also increase both the upstream water supply and storage thereof via construction of new dams, tunnels etc.

What that'd do is create a pumped storage scheme for regular (daily) use with a large reserve of water at the top, filled naturally by the river, able to be released during a shortfall of wind and solar generation due to weather. In that case the water won't be re-pumped, it'll go over the spillway of the lower reservoir then down the river, but that isn't a problem since natural river flow returns that water to the scheme in due course.

Trouble is, the usual suspects would have a protest up and running in no time if anyone tried it.

The trouble with renewables isn't that they can't work. Rather it's that we're intent on not building adequate storage and that becomes their weakness, leading to nuclear as plausibly better option. Politically they've been hobbled.

Those projects are the ones that need prioritising, whether it is renewables and gas or nuclear and gas and renewables, eventually it has to be renewables, gas and nuclear are finite at the moment.

It is just stupid by both sides, we have to have a logical progression, both sides of politics are being stupid, or the media is projecting stupidity to improve circulation.

There in lies the problem no one actually is well informed IMO.

We have been saying for years, storage is the issue, but it is expensive and it causes a lot of public backlash.
So the only storage the private sector are interested in are subsidised batteries and the Govt doesn't want to bite the bullet and commit to hydro even the Tassie link has been halved.
It's a bloody mess IMO, there doesn't appear to be anybody in the drivers seat.

 

[qldfrog]

Posting here for background information, could be in the science thread, a good article imho on thorium

Why China Is Building a Thorium Molten-Salt Reactor

China’s demo reactor could breed nuclear fuel from rare earth waste

spectrum.ieee.org

Not that i advocate realistically thorium reactors here with our current technical and engineering/execution level.

 

[SirRumpole]

So the only storage the private sector are interested in are subsidised batteries and the Govt doesn't want to bite the bullet and commit to hydro even the Tassie link has been halved.

Don't put all the blame on the 'government', Labor is only in power with the blessing of the Greens and we know what the Green's attitude towards dams and hydro is.

 

[sptrawler]

Don't put all the blame on the 'government', Labor is only in power with the blessing of the Greens and we know what the Green's attitude towards dams and hydro is.

All the parties are to blame, Snowy2.0 is underway, but several other similar projects need to get underway, if there is to be any chance of successfully transitioning to renewables.
These are long term projects, that will take years to complete and will have to be done whoever is in office, it isn't about blame it is about having a realistic approach to the issues and currently no one has taken it seriously.
To tell you the truth, the only ones that did show any real commitment was the last government and that is crazy when you consider the coal in parliament parody.
But they did start Snowy 2.0, Kurri Kurri and twin new feeder cables to Tassie (Marinus Link), now we have the situation of the Tassie link capacity being reduced to one cable and no new Government hydro or gas projects.
So it really is beyond the pale that they keep championing the cause verbally, but are actually doing very little other than now paying the coal stations to stay open longer.
I'm not having a go at the ideology, just the absolute lack of action behind the rhetoric, when are they actually going to announce something major or is this just going to slide into chaos?
Turning peoples power off wont be an acceptable long term solution, but I could be wrong, no one seems too upset, yet.

 

[sptrawler]

I don't think we can afford to rely on private investment, I think the government needs to put an export tax on all natural resources and build and run the required infrastructure themselves, otherwise it gets very messy trying to keep private companies happy.

Don't put all the blame on the 'government', Labor is only in power with the blessing of the Greens and we know what the Green's attitude towards dams and hydro is.

Sums it up perfectly IMO.

 

[farmerge]

Sums it up perfectly IMO.

Unfortunately The Loon Party has too much power and in put.