The Forum > Article Comments > Australia's clean energy experiment > Comments
Australia's clean energy experiment : Comments
By Tom Biegler, published 8/7/2024Australia's official power generation statistics make it obvious that we have no chance of meeting the clean energy needs of an all-electric fossil-fuel-free modern industrialised economy.
- Pages:
-
- Page 1
- 2
- 3
-
- All
A more targeted consideration is the storage requirement for 100% RE. Recent dunkelflaute conditions suggests Australia needs a month's worth of energy storage. The cost is mind boggling; for say 20 TWh at say $400bn capex per unit (expanding $400/kWh) you do the maths.
SMR nuclear could get down to $100 per MWh which is probably too expensive for heavy electricity users like aluminium smelters. I suspect those big users who say they'll cope with nearly 100% RE are really saying burn more gas and keep subsidising the price. Trouble is Australia won't have any natgas left in 2050 and hydrogen will be several times the price. We're heading to a brick wall.