5 ms·

Does anyone know why they're building a high-capacity cable to Singapore instead of Sidney? Sounds politically much easier to use the power domestically.

toomuchtodo 2y ago
Australia's solar potential is enormous [1], and there is enough solar to both export to Singapore and to consume domestically. Western and Northern Australia have the most solar potential, but are also sparsely populated and far from load/population centers (and dragging transmission through the Australian outback is not easy). Total remaining fossil generation to push out of the mix in Australia is ~30GW [2], which calls for only another ~150GW in renewables (assuming battery storage and 20% capacity factor). The world is on track to deploy 660GW of solar per year by end of year, for comparison. Tangentially, with China's economic decline due to structural demographics and having exhausted their real estate development needs, exporting clean power will assist Australia's export economy as demand for iron ore wanes [3]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_in_Australia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_in_Australia [2] https://opennem.org.au/facilities/nem/?status=operating https://opennem.org.au/facilities/nem/?status=operating [3] https://ieefa.org/resources/its-time-australia-made-long-term-iron-ore-plan https://ieefa.org/resources/its-time-australia-made-long-ter...
killingtime74 2y ago
Australian East coast power is already free during daylight hours.
- femto 2y ago
  To the extent that the Australian Energy Markets Commission wants to make the price negative for small producers. That is, you will have to pay the electricity companies to take your excess solar power. It probably won't fly politically. https://theconversation.com/now-they-want-to-charge-households-for-exporting-solar-electricity-to-the-grid-itll-send-the-system-backwards-158055 https://theconversation.com/now-they-want-to-charge-househol...
hugh-avherald 2y ago
Power cables underwater are less controversial than power lines through e.g. farmland. https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/humelink-budget-trimmed-but-cost-worries-persist-20240801-p5jyij https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/humelink-budget-trimmed... https://www.pv-magazine-australia.com/2024/03/21/community-coalition-renews-fight-against-humelink-transmission-project/ https://www.pv-magazine-australia.com/2024/03/21/community-c...

toomuchtodo 2y ago

Australia's solar potential is enormous [1], and there is enough solar to both export to Singapore and to consume domestically. Western and Northern Australia have the most solar potential, but are also sparsely populated and far from load/population centers (and dragging transmission through the Australian outback is not easy). Total remaining fossil generation to push out of the mix in Australia is ~30GW [2], which calls for only another ~150GW in renewables (assuming battery storage and 20% capacity factor). The world is on track to deploy 660GW of solar per year by end of year, for comparison. Tangentially, with China's economic decline due to structural demographics and having exhausted their real estate development needs, exporting clean power will assist Australia's export economy as demand for iron ore wanes [3]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_in_Australia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_in_Australia [2] https://opennem.org.au/facilities/nem/?status=operating https://opennem.org.au/facilities/nem/?status=operating [3] https://ieefa.org/resources/its-time-australia-made-long-term-iron-ore-plan https://ieefa.org/resources/its-time-australia-made-long-ter...

killingtime74 2y ago

Australian East coast power is already free during daylight hours.

femto 2y ago
To the extent that the Australian Energy Markets Commission wants to make the price negative for small producers. That is, you will have to pay the electricity companies to take your excess solar power. It probably won't fly politically. https://theconversation.com/now-they-want-to-charge-households-for-exporting-solar-electricity-to-the-grid-itll-send-the-system-backwards-158055 https://theconversation.com/now-they-want-to-charge-househol...

hugh-avherald 2y ago

Power cables underwater are less controversial than power lines through e.g. farmland. https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/humelink-budget-trimmed-but-cost-worries-persist-20240801-p5jyij https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/humelink-budget-trimmed... https://www.pv-magazine-australia.com/2024/03/21/community-coalition-renews-fight-against-humelink-transmission-project/ https://www.pv-magazine-australia.com/2024/03/21/community-c...