Thread: Horror heatwave blackout fears for Victoria

So Victoria's coal fired power stations failed to do the job and and Victoria had to import hydro power from Tasmania, wind, solar and gas power from SA and power from NSW, which is itself importing gas and solar power from Queensland. Gee, those Victorians better install more renewable power quick smart to make up for the failing coal power

Yes if they double wind and solar they might get 8% next time there is a hot day.

This whole problem is because Victoria has no reserves. You talk about 3 out of 8 generators not working but ignore that wind totally failed.

Despite what professors might opine, the situation in the future has by definition not happened yet , so nobody knows whether wind and solar will be successful.
I actually agree that coal is dirty etc , but wind and solar are not the answer. Note that SA got 90% of its power on Thursday from gas and diesel. Gas would be a great interim step but in Australia State Governments have restricted supply so the price is triple what it is in the USA.
Nuclear is probably the best answer. ( but I bet Disco Mick and friends are totally against the cleanest and safest answer)
Regards Philip A

Regard sPhilip A

Not in Queensland. Plenty of gas electricity here. Also in SA.

Originally Posted by PhilipA

Yes if they double wind and solar they might get 8% next time there is a hot day.

This whole problem is because Victoria has no reserves. You talk about 3 out of 8 generators not working but ignore that wind totally failed.

Despite what professors might opine, the situation in the future has by definition not happened yet , so nobody knows whether wind and solar will be successful.
I actually agree that coal is dirty etc , but wind and solar are not the answer. Note that SA got 90% of its power on Thursday from gas and diesel. Gas would be a great interim step but in Australia State Governments have restricted supply so the price is triple what it is in the USA.
Nuclear is probably the best answer. ( but I bet Disco Mick and friends are totally against the cleanest and safest answer)
Regards Philip A

Regard sPhilip A

Not sure about best answer, but it is an answer. And I'm for it.

Nuclear power in Australia - ABC Science

Originally Posted by bob10

Not sure about best answer, but it is an answer. And I'm for it.

Nuclear power in Australia - ABC Science

Yep, not sure why we won't go that way. Thorium reactors are very safe and can't melt down, so safety issues are void. Yes, I'd have one in my backyard.

Originally Posted by Homestar

Yep, not sure why we won't go that way. Thorium reactors are very safe and can't melt down, so safety issues are void. Yes, I'd have one in my backyard.

Glad you mentioned Thorium, a very interesting concept. Even more so the liquid salt version. Interesting to see funding was not released for thorium , but spent on main stream nuclear. Is there a nuclear lobby, similar to the fossil fuel lobby?

Thorium As Nuclear Fuel: the good and the bad

Molten salt reactors. EDIT China has more Thorium producing ore than uranium. Doesn't take an Einstein to see which way they may go.

Molten Salt Reactors

Originally Posted by Homestar

Yep, not sure why we won't go that way. Thorium reactors are very safe and can't melt down, so safety issues are void. Yes, I'd have one in my backyard.

You know they are still radioactive? I hope you like the look of it, because it could be there for a very long time and don't get tricked into buying it for the scrap value, as the decommissioning cost can be 15 times the cost to build and take 15 yrs. Also you might be left with an on site pool of de-com material as it makes little sense to pollute another area with spent fuel/radioactive equipment, which is why repositories have been so difficult to establish. The rising cost of decommissioning a nuclear power plant - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

A mild 37 here now The very high wind is a bit of a downer. Hope everyone is safe.

Feeling Hot? Glad I am not in Canada or parts of America who are about to get a once per generation Cold snap "Polar Vortex".

Extreme cold to hit 55 million people in the US as polar vortex brings life-threatening temperatures - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)