 | The Bullroarer - Sunday 18th May 2008 | TOD: Australia/New Zealand | Movie Preview: Australia Pumping Empty |  |
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SA seems to be running on a mixture of wishful thinking and corporate work-for-the-dole. I'd say river irrigated horticulture in that State is finished. Another example of corporate welfare is Pt Adelaide's Submarine Corporation now making surface boats I understand. Bin Laden must be huddled in his cave knowing that those unreliable noisy $1bn apiece diesel subs are after him, that's when they work. I don't how Rann's solar village with feed-in tariffs will be affected by means testing. I think he can see that hot rock geothermal is not going to hit prime time just yet.
That of course leaves Roxby Downs and its requirement for half the State's power output. Point Bonython near Whyalla strikes me as the most logical place in Australia to build a nuclear power plant. Get BHP to pay most of and insure it but also export any surplus back to the grid. Relocate the cuttlefish if need be. The Sub Corp has titanium pressure vessel expertise so I'm sure they could contract for some hi tech. There's also a lot of smart dudes at the Defence think tank at Salisbury.
My suggestion to Rann is don't wait for hybrid cars, hot rocks or river water but follow the money.
I wouldn't crusade against "corporate welfare" vis a vis our much maligned hybrid subs (diesel electrics) on the one hand and then clutch at their titanium pressure vessel expertise on the other for your own nuclear proposition... ;-) How are you going to get BHP-Billiton to pay for this without a fat slice of public lard lobbed in their direction?
RE noise and submarines read this.
It is interesting to note that nuclear submarines are generally noisier than diesels. Probably because that reactor can't be shut down and coolant still has to flow, and steam to run the turbines generated. IT could of course be a clever rouse... that our subs are noisy... maybe...
Also the noise level depends on the speed of travel, and from memory of the reports at the time, these subs were considered "noisy" at ~12 knots underwater... that's actually fairly fast.
Frankly I would much rather "waste" the billion dollars here than on helicopters that don't fly, rusty assault landing craft that had to be rebuilt, fighter jets that are inferior to the alternative Russian designs etc etc.
And who is going to design and build this reactor?