Power Plants

[JG3]

Recently I flew out to view the new solar/gas power plant west of Dalby, Qld.

 

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The solar array in the background and backup gas generators foreground. 

 

Note how the gas plant is configured with six units, so that they can be fired up separately to match the load requirement, a very efficient arrangement.

 

Also note how clean and tidy the the whole setup is.

 

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Another view of the solar array, and more ground prepared for expansion.

 

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Nearby is this old coal fired plant.

 

Quite a mess....

 

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And this is the coal mine that feeds that plant.

 

An even bigger mess....

 

The coal-fired plant is much larger capacity than the solar/gas plant, but seems to me that we sure do need more of those clean, efficient type of power plants. 

 

Flying sure does give a very real view of what goes on down there.....

 

 

[Downunder]

All we need now is a govt with the balls to plan and put in pipelines from the tropical north to the southern States and pump fresh water down and get rid of these expensive and short life desalination plants. Irrigating farms on the way down is a bonus.

 

Where you have gas, you have power. Where you have power, you can run pumps.

 

Buried poly pipe(s) would last hundreds of years. ....

 

 

[kgwilson]

Governments, that is the Libs and Nats have too many vested interests in fossil fuel to make good rational decisions and push for sustainable renewable energy. The funny thing is that ordinary people and business are ignoring the politicians & doing it anyway.

 

 

[jetjr]

The energy needed to move the water would require several power stations on the way - the resultant water, then too expensive 

 

Its a nice idea but not deliverable

 

 

[facthunter]

I believe as a rule of thumb over a distance of 400 kms water is cheaper by desal of sea water, than to pump it. I guess if the pumping is done using solar It might be more feasible. Storing water in the hot drier areas is not a good idea as the evaporation rates  are very high unless the storage has a low surface area to volume ratio and doesn't leak into substratas or get siphoned off illegally.  Nev

 

 

[ClintonB]

Our local storage dam had the wall raised a few years ago by 2 metres. It took away the road on the far side, increased the storage by 50%. But they did not think to dig out the millions of tonnes of silt from the shallow end whilst the dam was close to empty for 4 or 5 years. It appeared to be several metres deep even in the river entry end (judging by the original landscape shape). The increase in depth would have to be a gain better than surface area.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

The mining companies and unions are currently fighting to stop paying for the clean up of abandoned mines. It's like they want to turn the public against them.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Our local storage dam had the wall raised a few years ago by 2 metres. It took away the road on the far side, increased the storage by 50%. But they did not think to dig out the millions of tonnes of silt from the shallow end whilst the dam was close to empty for 4 or 5 years. It appeared to be several metres deep even in the river entry end (judging by the original landscape shape). The increase in depth would have to be a gain better than surface area.

What do you do with the silt though?

 

 

[ClintonB]

Got to be a few mines that need filling somewhere, just down the road is the hunter valley

 

 

[derekliston]

(Totally tongue in cheek in case anyone thinks I’m serious!) You shouldn’t need to pump the water if the pipeline is coming from the North because it is downhill!!!

 

 

[spacesailor]

F T

 

"What do you do with the silt though?"

 

Dry it Bag it & sell it, for a good return, like they do in Europe.

 

Sewage settling pond silt sells for a premium price at all the horticultural  markets. (but it has a nicer name )

 

spacesailor

 

 

[fly_tornado]

The could give it away on Facebook too

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

All we need now is a govt with the balls to plan and put in pipelines from the tropical north to the southern States and pump fresh water down and get rid of these expensive and short life desalination plants. Irrigating farms on the way down...

And lose northern Australia's fishing industry? A clear understanding of natural systems is required before we start changing them.

 

 

[frank marriott]

 

 

[facthunter]

 Easily fixed, compared to an open cut coal mine.  Nev

 

 

[fly_tornado]

that turbine is 20 years old ?