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46 comments on Solving Our Water Problems - Desalination Using Solar Thermal Power
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46 comments on Solving Our Water Problems - Desalination Using Solar Thermal Power
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GAIA Host Collective
Some factoids about Pt Augusta. Firstly as Kiashu pointed out this is where drums of yellowcake from Olympic Dam are railed to Darwin perhaps so as not to upset Adelaide people. However the two power stations use an abysmal grade of coal that has been likened to to brown dirt. They have 30 year reserves that are railed down from north as the yellowcake passes it going the other way.
I've noted that the top of the gulf has near stagnant water with elevated salinity so swimmers float higher in it. Presumably it is also more alkaline with metal concentrations. Thus it may not be suitable for reverse osmosis hence this vacuum method. Point Bonython near Whyalla and the cuttlefish has normal salinity due to better circulation.
Lastly it's a good thing there's no energy and water crisis as I suspect that Pt Paterson, Petratherm geothermal and Wizard ammonia will still be at the 'gunner' stage five years from now.
Boof,
Not sure what you mean by 'gunner' stage. Is that good or bad?
Bad.
"Gunner" = "Gonna" = "Going to" (one day).
Personally I'm glad people are at least trying to do some of these things - its better than sitting like a rabbit in the headlights...
'gunner' = going to ie not commercial reality.
While I'm being sarcastic now as the years go by these experimental projects will have to deliver. I'm not saying they will never scale up to commercial reality but I'm saying we shouldn't wait and hold back technology that actually works. If they can get extra water and electrical power Olympic Dam will become the world's largest uranium mine. Rightly or wrongly that helps millions of people. You could argue holding back inputs helps conservation or renewables long term rather than fossil fuels. OK but argue along those lines, not that there are quick alternatives waiting in the wings. What doesn't work now may never work.
Are you saying you think solar thermal doesn't work or that desalination doesn't work ?
They both look pretty well proven to me...
1) Acquasol's process
If they can produce a kilolitre for 0.7 kwh they should take over the desal up the road a ways at Coober Pedy where water starts at $5 per kL for preferred customers. I suggest the mining or horticulture industries may not want this water if it is over say 50c per kL.
2) baseload solar
A poster on regular TOD suggested that baseload means producing a nominated output for 6000 hours per year. I'll believe in baseload solar when there is a plant that can output 500 Mw for 6000 hours a year at a wholesale cost of 10c or less per kwh.
Let's give til year 2013 for either of these targets to be achieved.
I think wholesale electricity from all sources will be above 10c per kWh by 2013 (even before a price on carbon). So solar doesn't need to get that lower than that to be competitive.
I've got little doubt that with a moderate price on carbon, baseload solar thermal will make economic sense before 2013.