[LINK] Calling all Real Politicians - An Update on Past the Black Stump - Was Hot Rocks

[Tom Koltai]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: link-bounces at mailman.anu.edu.au 
> [mailto:link-bounces at mailman.anu.edu.au] On Behalf Of Tom Koltai
> Sent: Monday, 4 April 2011 6:11 PM
> To: 'Richard Archer'; link at anu.edu.au
> Subject: Re: [LINK] Past the Black Stump - Was Hot Rocks
> 
<SNIP>
>
> The problem is the transmission towers from Inna to anywhere...
> 
> For those that don't quite know where Inna (Hopetoun) is or 
> have never had the pleasure of visiting the red centre of Oz...
> 
> Innamincka is perched in between the Strzelecki, Tirari and 
> Sturt Stony Deserts.
> 
> >From Tibooburra, 224.82kms NW (314kms, 11hrs 17mins driving)
> >From Birdsville, 247.01kms SE (418kms, 14hrs 14mins driving) 
> >From Marree, 335.35kms NE (541kms, 19hrs 34mins driving) 
> >From Quilpie, 371.18kms W (496kms, 13hrs 8mins driving) 
> (Google Maps links @ [4] below)
> 
> In other words... Too far for any Grid Connect.
> <SNIP>

(I should explain, those long driving times - really do take that long,
in your 4WD, on the bulldust, across the rutted floodplains.)

Some peeking and poking turned up the following link.

http://www.geodynamics.com.au/IRM/Company/ShowPage.aspx?CPID=1464

Which is an excerpt from the company's 2007 annual report explaining
[not very detailed] their intent about Grid connection.

Firefox users with noscript will need to change the name of the
downloaded file from ShowPage.aspx to ShowPage.pdf before attempting to
view.

Whilst I still don't see the economics working out in favour of the grid
connected consumer, based on the above link, I do see potentially a new
centre of industry - e.g. BHP Steel mill or some such other industry.

A number of years ago there was a proposal to build a mountain through
the centre of Australia (from Port Pirie to Darwin.)
Whilst slightly unrealistic logistically, the idea had some merit.
"Aussie Mountain" [my terminology] would have provided jobs, altered the
climate and opened up thousands of acres of arable farming land.

With serious concerns arising about copper sales declining in China,
(signalling a possible knock-on effect as regards iron-ore), there may
well be a slowdown in Australia's economic well being unless
infrastructure projects that have a long term beneficial future can be
gotten underway.

Providing power in the middle of a desertified area has interesting
commercial possibilities for those industries that are sensitive to high
humidity.
(Electronics, sensors, batteries, SOFC,). 

For a long time, various state governments have been competing for the
megapolis this multifunction polis that (etc etc).

Hot Rocks (if the electricity is cheap enough) may just provide an
interesting twist for a clean energy re-industrialisation of Australia.
E.g.: Tata in India. (sub 2000 dollar motor car) rejuvenated industry
throughout India by giving everyone the opportunity of being able to
afford to purchase a new car.
Just imagine the New Mitsubishi plant powered by hotrocks turning out
solar powered suburban shopping carts. [As in (e.g.) Harbour Island in
the Bahamas where motor vehicles have been banned in favour of
non-polluting electronic golf carts]

Or.... The new Australian Made Lithium-ion batteries [Sensitive to
humidity] for all those electric cars in our near-term futures. 

Quote/ [From:
http://www.ga.gov.au/minerals/mineral-resources/rare-earth-elements.html
]
Small-scale production of rare earths began in Australia at Byron Bay in
New South Wales in the 1950s with a small quantity of monazite being
processed to produce cerium oxide for glass polishing. In 1969, cerium,
lanthanum, yttrium and thorium compounds were produced at Port Pirie in
South Australia from locally produced monazite. However, the plant
ceased operations in 1972.
/Quote

We need it, we just need the some of the politicians to realise that the
answers to economic recovery do not always necessarily lie with today's
Fortune 500 company's and long term recovery will most probably not
arrive as a result of the mining concerns.

Hands up any Pollie that can see the vision...

The vision is, mine some minerals, use cheap electricity to turn those
into something that is more valuable than the minerals giving us a
valuable export that will last past the doomed iron-ore bubble.

Anyone ? .... Please ....