"Green Nuclear Power" in Australia (1 Viewer)

[ur_inner_child]

Scientists get hot rocks off over green nuclear power

John Garnaut
April 12, 2007

PEOPLE could be using "green nuclear" energy in their homes within three years as entrepreneurs rush to produce zero-emissions electricity.

Geodynamics Ltd told the Australian Stock Exchange yesterday it had sped up plans to harness the heat generated by natural nuclear activity deep beneath the central Australian desert.

The company plans to pipe high-pressure hot water from the granite bedrock four kilometres beneath the Queensland-South Australia border, where the slow decay of potassium, thorium and uranium generates temperatures as high as 300 degrees.

"The granite is hot because of the natural nuclear activity in there - it's green nuclear," said the company's chief executive, Adrian Williams.

Dr Williams expects the company to send electricity to the national power grid by 2010 and later directly to western Sydney. By 2015, it could produce as much electricity as the Snowy Mountains hydro scheme.

Some scientists say hot-rocks technology could soon deliver huge volumes of economically viable power, thanks to the continent having the hottest and most geologically favourable granite deposits on earth.

"There's enough energy to run the country for thousands of years," said Prame Chopra, a scientist who sits on the Geodynamics board.

According to a conservative estimate by the Centre for International Economics, Australia has enough geothermal energy to meet electricity consumption for 450 years.

The industry has strong backing in Canberra. "I've been a fan for a long time," the Minister for Industry, Ian Macfarlane, told the Herald. "The theory is very sound. What they've got to do now is prove that it works."

The granite in South Australia's Cooper basin contains "fractures" that hold super-hot, high-pressure water. It could power a steam turbine then recyle water back into the bedrock for reheating.

The hotter the water, the more efficiently it can be converted into electricity.

Australia is home to all of the world's six listed hot fractured rock geothermal energy companies. One, Petratherm, recently signed a memorandum of understanding to supply geothermal electricity to South Australia's Beverley uranium mine by late 2009.

Torrens Energy, which listed on the stock exchange three weeks ago, is exploring hot sites near Adelaide.

The greatest impediment to the renewable energy industry is that the nation's electricity is among the cheapest in the world, thanks to huge deposits of high-grade coal.

But geothermal energy is expected to be economically viable after a moderate cost is imposed on greenhouse gas emissions.

Geodynamic, assisted by $11.8 million in federal grants, said it would produce one megawatt of electricity for about $45 an hour - compared with coal power of about $35.

The Prime Minister's taskforce on nuclear energy estimated the cost of nuclear energy at $40-$65, "clean coal" at $50-$100 and photovoltaic solar energy as high as $120.

 

[xXeMoxXxCoRexX]

I hope the Greens move to have all these potential sites made national parks ASAP to stop this development going ahead.

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

^Did you even read the article, or did you see the word 'nuclear' and run away screaming?

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Greens have no fucking power anyways

Try to keep up some decorum.

 

[Sparcod]

I like the word "green" btw.

 

[Serius]

sounds expensive to me... and arent we allready in a water shortage? eh whatever, if it makes all the hippies happy then lets do it.

 

[HotShot]

Export coal at inflated prices to the world, whilst we develop geo-thermal power.

On that note we should also export Uranium as well.

 

[Omnidragon]

Man can't we just get rid of the 3-mine policy and mine uranium? I'm holding AGS, MTN, CUY, PNN, SMM. Let them mine goddamnit!!

 

[nichhhole]

^Did you even read the article, or did you see the word 'nuclear' and run away screaming?

most probably..

and regardless... nuclear power is misunderstood.
too many people judge it without understanding how it really works.. they're emotionally overpowered with thoughts of apocalyptic wastelands...

it's really not that bad.

i'm just glad noone brought up the arguement about using wind/solar energy..
sigh.. that could hardly suffice sydneys electricity needs.


also..
while this geothermal energy sounds great...
The federal minister (Malcolm Turnbull, Minister for Environment) a few days ago spoke of geothermal (as) having the potential to provide 10 per cent of Australia's energy resources by 2030....

10%...
its better than nothing..
but still..
we;re going to need other sources..

 

[xXeMoxXxCoRexX]

Coal is an excellent source of power, and we have quite a lot of it.

What do you all think?

 

[nichhhole]

Coal is an excellent source of power, and we have quite a lot of it.

haha..
i went on the unsw mining and minerals engineering camp in 06.. anyone fromthere here?[it was a sausage fest.. and being one of 8 girls.. had a great time :rofl: esp cos 5 of the 8 were butch! haha..]

umm... we went all around the coal mines and underground... [up near huntervalley..]

i think coal is great.. the best source of energy we currently have.. [though i am a supporter of the development of nuclear energy as a primary energy source..

i think the biggest issue with coal mining, is not the land degredation.. [that is an issue.. even tho the mining companies do refil the mines after they're done etc.. still has consequences..] but rather the emissions issue.. [and yes they do attempt to treat that thru filtration.. but still..]

what with climate changes and holes in the ozone layer.. it is bound to be an issue.

also.. while we do have alot of coal.. [well at least enough for our generation..]
the issue arises that other countries will run out of coal and become more heavily dependant on ours.. [it is the best ^^ or close to it..] thus cutting down the amount that we have..

eventually we will need to look for alternative energy sources.
wind/solar is not sufficient..

i have my doubts about this geothermal business... but still could be used as a minor energy source...[and yes, i am going to buy some torrens energy shares ^^! it'll be my first investment.. dont want to get burned first time around ]

we're going to mine mine mine uranium soon enough..
we may as well start integrating nuclear slowly so we can work on improving the already sufficient methods we have of storing the waste safely..

 

[HotShot]

Coal has nothing to do with the ozone layer. And Arguably has very little to do with climate change.

also.. while we do have alot of coal.. [well at least enough for our generation..]
the issue arises that other countries will run out of coal and become more heavily dependant on ours.. [it is the best ^^ or close to it..] thus cutting down the amount that we have..

That will take a long while to happen, and by then the other countries would have towards much more efficeint technology where the amount of coal used will be a lot less and other forms of energy are developed.

 

[HotShot]

I love nuclear, there's more Science to it!

Yay Science! Also nuclear isn't burning coal. The only byproduct is radioactive waste and STEAM!

Woohoo!

STEAM adds to global warming by warming up the atmosphere....

 

[Sparcod]

Coal is an excellent source of power, and we have quite a lot of it.

What do you all think?

Export coal at inflated prices to the world, whilst we develop geo-thermal power.

On that note we should also export Uranium as well.

Kevin Rudd once said that he would take note of the fact of our large coal reserves to pressure China into improving its environmental management policies and to reduce pollution.

 

[Captain Gh3y]

I suspect that if some dim witted environmental fanatic ever got into power and refused to sell China coal, they'd just come down here and take it.

 

[imaginarylife]

Coal is an excellent source of power, and we have quite a lot of it.

Coal is a limited resource and has such a negative impact on the environment, whether or not you believe that CO2 emissions contribute to global warming. The greenhouse gases also have negative impacts on the health of humans, eg impact of air pollution.

The greenhouse gases not only comes from the burning of coal, which in the future could possibly be reduced with new technology. The mining of the coal requires large amounts of energy and fuel. Just one of the large trucks used to cart the coal from the mines uses the same amount of petrol in one day as three average cars in one year!

Not only does this mean there are large amounts of pollution being released into the environment, but trucks dominate the roads transporting petrol to the mines to fuel the mining trucks.

Rather than continuing to expand the coal industry we should be looking at expanding renewable resources that have a much lesser impact on the environment.

with more research solar energy is becoming more and more economically feasible, and it is already sufficient to fuel our domestic needs, if we could all afford to install it.

Report urges greater action on renewable energy

23Apr07
HOUSEHOLD electricity bills would rise by just $1.23 a week if a quarter of Australia's energy came from renewable sources, a report has found.
The report by three green groups says setting a renewable energy target of 25 per cent by the year 2020 would deliver more than 16,000 new jobs, slash greenhouse gas emissions by 69 million tonnes and generate $33 billion in investment.

http://www.gcbulletin.com.au/article/2007/04/23/4671_news.html