The future of energy generation and storage

[sptrawler]

Rising temperatures rising energy usage

Third World countries becoming more affluent, they can afford the A/C now.

 

[sptrawler]

WOW !! That seems amazingly good value. Obviously I don't know the size of the plants and perhaps the $15m was parts only not the whole reconstruction.

The critical point you raise Smurf is that creative, quality engineering could come up with solutions to refurbish/ rejig or create some new "break glass" option. Given that these units would only be intended for quite intermittent use it seems economically crazy to spend huge bucks on totally new gear vs a range of creative hacks.

Perhaps it would be an interesting "contest" for small engineering companies to come up with solutions. Some prizes and recognition at the end. ?

Regional Power Services have been doing it for years, when gas arrived at Port Headland the 13MW MWM diesels went to Costa Rica.
The main issue is, technology moves along and old technology becomes obsolete.

 

[IFocus]

Regional Power Services have been doing it for years, when gas arrived at Port Headland the 13MW MWM diesels went to Costa Rica.
The main issue is, technology moves along and old technology becomes obsolete.

Never got to see Redbank.... given my black out record probably just as well.

 

[sptrawler]

Another turbine world record set – but not by China this time

In the ever-shifting winds of "who-did-it-bigger?" China has just taken a back seat to European wind company Siemens Gamesa. The firm recently planted a colossal, world-record-setting turbine in the Østerild test field in Denmark.

newatlas.com

 

[sptrawler]

Never got to see Redbank.... given my black out record probably just as well.

Yes you probably worked on the Blackstones at Denham, we replaced them with Cummins.

 

[Smurf1976]

Third World countries becoming more affluent, they can afford the A/C now.

I think most forget just how recent the mainstream use of air-conditioning really is.

Cheaper mass market cars it's really only been standard since about the year 2000.

Not so much in hotter climates but in Vic or Tas it'd still be easy to find a home or small office or shop without it today.

 

[qldfrog]

Interesting and goes back to what I said early on in the thread, the enormity of the issue isn't recognised, not only does existing power stations have to be mitigated, but future growth has to be included.
It will all boil back to energy density in the end IMO.
The solution will become obvious, eventually.

40 percent of world's power clean but emissions rising - report

More clean electricity was generated in 2024 but there was a rise in the amount of coal and gas burnt too.

www.bbc.com

More than 40 percent of the world's electricity was generated without burning fossil fuels in 2024, according to a new report from think-tank Ember.

But carbon dioxide emissions, which warm the planet, have risen to an all time high, the report says, with hot weather pushing up the overall demand for power.

Ember is a global energy think tank which has been predicting for several years that emissions of the climate warming gas carbon dioxide were about to start falling.

But this hasn't happened yet due to increasing global demand for electricity.
The report says that clean energy sources contributed more than 40% of global electricity generation for the first time since the 1940s. Back then demand was much lower, and hydroelectric power stations contributed a significant share.

The big picture is that the rise in the global demand for electricity continues to outpace the growth in renewable energy.

In the last five years, fast-growing Asian economies, in particular India and China, have continued expanding their use of fossil fuels to meet rapidly rising demand for electricity

Clean energy powered 40% of global electricity in 2024, report finds

Thinktank says solar has been fastest-growing energy source for last 20 years, but remains dwarfed by hydro power

www.theguardian.com

Here is the Guardians take on it for the sake of balance

BBC and The Guardian does not bring much balance, so lets say for the global warmist side ;-)
But interesting figures, we should probably ask the west to commit suicide bashing our heads with rocks and dumping our bodies in ocean abyss to prevent co2 release in the atmosphere otherwise we are DOOMED...

 

[sptrawler]

I think most forget just how recent the mainstream use of air-conditioning really is.

Cheaper mass market cars it's really only been standard since about the year 2000.

Not so much in hotter climates but in Vic or Tas it'd still be easy to find a home or small office or shop without it today.

Absolutely, when we moved to Exmouth in 1980 with a 1 and 2 year old, we had no A/C in the car or the house and for one period of 13 days or nights straight it never dropped below 36c.

I'm not complaining, just saying how times have changed.

Now the third world is starting to have the same expectations as us, which is understandable, so IMO there is no way with the energy density of renewables at the moment, they will be able to keep up.

But hey what do I know, I know SFA. Lol
As we keep saying time will tell, when Labor get in this time a lot of soul searching will go on.

 

[sptrawler]

Absolutely, when we moved to Exmouth in 1980 with a 1 and 2 year old, we had no A/C in the car or the house and for one period of 13 days or nights straight it never dropped below 36c.

I'm not complaining, just saying how times have changed.

Now the third world is starting to have the same expectations as us, which is understandable, so IMO there is no way with the energy density of renewables at the moment, they will be able to keep up.

But hey what do I know, I know SFA. Lol
As we keep saying time will tell, when Labor get in this time a lot of soul searching will go on.

By the way that 36c was the overnight minimum, during the day it was between 45c _ 47c. Lol

 

[IFocus]

Yes you probably worked on the Blackstones at Denham, we replaced them with Cummins.

Pulled the alternator apart on the one nearest the wall there was a cat (200 kw?) helped a fitter do the over haul on it ran up to 100% could just about see through the exhaust glowing red to white.

 

[sptrawler]

Pulled the alternator apart on the one nearest the wall there was a cat (200 kw?) helped a fitter do the over haul on it ran up to 100% could just about see through the exhaust glowing red to white.

I could be wrong, but I thought the ones we put in there were 200KVA 6cyl Cummins, but it was in the 1980's, a long time ago. Lol
The small Cat diesels were normally 300 6cyl or 600KVA V8, again from memory.
Then it stepped up to 1MW Cummins V10 high speed skid mounts, we put a couple of them at Mt Magnet.

Now Denham has.

Public Knowledge Sharing Report: Horizon Power – Denham Hydrogen Demonstration Project June 2024

A Public Sharing Knowledge Report on Western Australia’s first Renewable Hydrogen Microgrid plant.

www.wa.gov.au

The World moves on. Lol
I haven't been to Denham for about 20 years

 

[SirRumpole]

The debate goes on.

In the debate between renewables and nuclear, some say it's 'game over'

While experts weigh in on the great energy debate, one builder says the industry has already made up its mind.

www.abc.net.au

 

[qldfrog]

The debate goes on.

In the debate between renewables and nuclear, some say it's 'game over'

While experts weigh in on the great energy debate, one builder says the industry has already made up its mind.

www.abc.net.au

There is no debate,
Sure, all the roof tops will run the smelters, factories and warehouses, charge the cars batteries..
Of course, insulation , solar on houses are a given but that does not run the AC at midnight, nor does your batteries especially for high density housing which i thought was the future?
Take a fact, distort it a bit and suddenly
" nuclear power is not an option because it is uneconomical to install a reactor fir my home"
Just re-visited the above article arguments with same logic
But articles by articles, propaganda after propaganda, beliefs become truth.
Really pissed off being taxed to pay for that brain washing of the masses
"Green brain washing is the new religion fanatism"
No fact, a belief and we carry on, deeper and deeper into obscurantism we thought over.
My rant of the day is done , now basking in the Trump induced rally of the century
Quick, let's tax unrealised profits of these bastards.

 

[Smurf1976]

I note there's some media commentary regarding Callide C power station in Queensland.

I can confirm that unit C3 tripped on 4th April and hasn't run since. I don't have further details but it seems there's been an incident of some sort.

Yes this is the one with some history. Unit C4 had a catastrophic failure and ended up basically a rebuild. Unit C3 had the cooling tower collapse.

Separate to that, there's a Qld government plan to continue operating Callide B station beyond the presently announced closure date in 2028. It's getting old, will be 40 years in 2028, but it is at least reliable which beats the drama that goes on next door.

 

[Smurf1976]

I can confirm that unit C3 tripped on 4th April and hasn't run since.

Not something I'm in any way involved with but apparently the basic sequence of events is:

Accumulated ash clinker fell inside boiler.

Flame out.

Pulverised fuel (coal) flow to boiler continued.

Ignition of pulverised fuel inside boiler > kaboom.

At this stage out of service until at least the end of May. That may well change however - it's the date they've given bearing in mind they're required to put a date on it, no guarantees it's accurate.

 

[qldfrog]

Not something I'm in any way involved with but apparently the basic sequence of events is:

Accumulated ash clinker fell inside boiler.

Flame out.

Pulverised fuel (coal) flow to boiler continued.

Ignition of pulverised fuel inside boiler > kaboom.

At this stage out of service until at least the end of May. That may well change however - it's the date they've given bearing in mind they're required to put a date on it, no guarantees it's accurate.

Hopefully a controlled vent in the boiler for such event

 

[SirRumpole]

Not something I'm in any way involved with but apparently the basic sequence of events is:

Accumulated ash clinker fell inside boiler.

Flame out.

Pulverised fuel (coal) flow to boiler continued.

Ignition of pulverised fuel inside boiler > kaboom.

At this stage out of service until at least the end of May. That may well change however - it's the date they've given bearing in mind they're required to put a date on it, no guarantees it's accurate.

That that indicate lack of maintenance, or was it a freak event?

 

[qldfrog]

That that indicate lack of maintenance, or was it a freak event?

Or just sxxt happens

 

[sptrawler]

Not something I'm in any way involved with but apparently the basic sequence of events is:

Accumulated ash clinker fell inside boiler.

Flame out.

Pulverised fuel (coal) flow to boiler continued.

Ignition of pulverised fuel inside boiler > kaboom.

At this stage out of service until at least the end of May. That may well change however - it's the date they've given bearing in mind they're required to put a date on it, no guarantees it's accurate.

Usually the furnace is inspected through viewing windows on a regular basis, when a large build up of clinker occurs, the unit is usually taken off line and high pressure water lances are used to blast the buildup off.

If the build up goes unnoticed and falls off it can fall from a very high height, so can cause damage to the lower water wall tubes or ash hopper depending on the boiler design, so a boiler trip can be from a tube rupture or a furnace pressure swing.
It is strange that fuel kept flowing, a boiler loss of flame, is an instant trip and requires a purge sequence before a fire can be restarted
it will be interesting when the investigation result comes out.
This Callide C, is starting to sound like it is well past its use by date.

 

[IFocus]

A pro renewables piece

Forget nuclear, Australia is on fast lane to 100pc renewables​

by Andrew Blakers | Apr 11, 2025 | Energy & Environment, Latest Posts

Artwork by Michael Joiner, 360info



Listen to this story
7 min





Listen to this story
7 min


Gas is the talk of the town, while nuclear is not, but a massive increase in solar power generation capacity has already put Australia on the fast track to a 100% renewable energy future. Solar cell engineer Andrew Blakers explains.


An academic living in cold Canberra retired his gas heaters a few years ago and installed electric heat pumps for space and water heating. His gas bill went to zero. He also bought an electric vehicle, so his petrol bill went to zero.
He then installed rooftop solar panels that export enough solar electricity to the grid to pay for electricity imports at night, so his electricity bill also went to zero. That Canberra academic will get his money back from these energy investments in about eight years.
I am that academic.

Forget nuclear, Australia is on fast lane to 100pc renewables - Michael West

A massive increase in solar power generation capacity is already putting Australia on the fast track to a 100% renewable energy future.

michaelwest.com.au