Despite ongoing coronavirus catastrophes, and despite the fact that we’re probably still doomed (just thought I’d slip that in there), there’s been heaps of pretty good climate news lately.
On top of the US electing someone who understands the concept of “Science”, we should probably mention my nemesis Australia as it perhaps starts to learn from its mistakes:
“The world’s largest power station is planned for a vast piece of desert about half the size of greater suburban Sydney in Australia’s remote north-west.
“Called the Asian Renewable Energy Hub, its size is difficult to conceptualise. If built in full, there will be 1,600 giant wind turbines and a 78 sq km array of solar panels a couple of hundred kilometres east of Port Hedland in the Pilbara.
“This solar-wind hybrid power plant would have a capacity of 26 gigawatts, more than Australia’s entire coal power fleet. The hub’s backers say the daytime sun and nightly winds blowing in from the Indian Ocean are perfectly calibrated to provide a near constant source of emissions-free energy around the clock.”
I guess just keep in mind that deserts also have ecosystems and this plan is still five years off. Amusingly, given that they’re vaunting it as being non-intermittent (power all the time), the electricity it creates is actually going to be used to turn seawater into hydrogen:
“Most of it will be used to run 14GW of electrolysers that will convert desalinated seawater into “green hydrogen” – a form of energy that analysts expect to be in increasing demand as a replacement for fossil fuels in the years and decades ahead.”
And that’s not it for Australia for today.
“This week alone there were a string of extraordinary announcements. The New South Wales government plans to underwrite 12GW of renewable energy and 2GW of storage over the next decade, Woolworths is promising to run its supermarkets and operations on 100% green energy within five years, and the country’s biggest super fund, AustralianSuper, dumped its shares in Whitehaven Coal as it set a path to a net-zero emissions investment portfolio by 2050.”
More deets on the Aussie hydrogen revolution:
“Hydrogen has grabbed the attention of politicians and industry, including winning support at federal and state level in Australia. There are more than 20 smaller hydrogen projects under way across the country, but the hub dwarfs them. Hewitt says it will allow the fuel to be produced for less than $2 a kilogram, the level at which the Morrison government expects it to be cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives.
“It’s amazing how fast the transition is coming,” he says. “All the technology we’re using is proven at demonstration level. We have the right backing, we have the partners and it will get done.”
Jeez Australia, you’re giving me goosebumps now.
“The second of Australia’s two giant renewable export projects is no less extraordinary in its ambition, and also has been granted major project status from the federal government. Like the Asian Renewable Energy Hub, it is billed as the largest of its type in the world.
“The $22bn Sun Cable proposal, backed by billionaires Mike Cannon-Brookes and Forrest, involves building a 10GW solar farm with battery storage at the Newcastle Waters cattle station about 750km south of Darwin.”
Here’s a picture of what it’s going to look life, if it happens.
Crikey dick!
Perhaps the most crazy thing about this last one is that all the power is expected to be transmitted 3800 km via undersea cables to Singapore. Not sure I’m convinced of the total braininess of this one.
Ok, now let’s pause for a second. Take a deep breath. We’re barely halfway through the Guardian article about all these mental Australian plans.
There’s also the massive offshore windfarm being planned off the coast of the State of Victoria. And the massive battery being planned for next to Geelong (close to Melbourne). And the massive spread of home solar across the country’s houses. That’s massive!
Time for a stiff drink to help digest all of this crazy news out of wildfire Australia. Cheers Matey Potatey.