[LINK] Converting mine sites into renewable energy storage

[Craig Sanders]

On Fri, Mar 01, 2024 at 06:31:58AM +0000, Stephen Loosley wrote:
> Our new research identified more than 900 suitable locations around the
> world: at former and existing mining sites. Some 37 sites are in Australia.
>
> Huge open-cut mining pits would be turned into reservoirs to hold water for
> renewable energy storage. It would give the sites a new lease on life and
> help shore up the world's low-emissions future.
>
> [...]
>
> Unlike conventional hydropower systems operating on rivers, closed-loop
> systems are located away from rivers. They require only two reservoirs, one

Huge open cut mining pits tend to be extremely toxic AND extremely acidic.

No matter how much water you pump in to fill up the pit, the result will be
something far too toxic and acidic to ever allow anywhere near water sources
(such as the nearby local water sources they'll be pumping the water from to
fill the pit with).  You can't just release the flow into rivers like you can
with hydro-electric dams...and no matter how much they say it'll be "closed
loop", there WILL be leakages especially with, you know, all that acidic
liquid eating away at the pumping infrastructure and the turbines.

It wouldn't surprise me if this report was some greenwashing scam by mining
companies to avoid responsibility for cleaning up their messes. "It's not
toxic waste, it's green energy!"

With the trillions that are going to be spent world-wide over the next decades
transitioning to a non- fossil-fuel economy, there'll be scammers of all sizes
and types looking for ways to shove their snouts in the trough.  It would pay
us to be deeply suspicious of any proposals that benefit the corporations that
made the mess in the first place, especially since many of them have very
expensive remediation liabilities that they're keen to escape.

> higher than the other, between which water flows down a tunnel and through a
                                       ^^^^^
> turbine, producing electricity.

It's not water.  It might have been water when it was first pumped in to
the pit, but it's not afterwards.  It's a highly acidic aqueous solution
containing all kinds of toxic metals.

"water" sounds a whole lot nicer and safer and greener than describing it
accurately.


> [...] The site usually has access to a water source for which the mine
> operators may have pumping rights. [...]

Yep. The water pumped in to the pits has to come from somewhere, like nearby
rivers and aquifers. More water stolen from the environment and from townships
as well as agricultural users.  Isn't it lucky that the newly-greened mining
companies in their "renewable power company" masks still have those valuable
rights.

Also, water is already a scarce resource.  It's going to be even scarcer in
the very near future.  Wars are going to be fought over it.


> So what are we waiting for?

Even the best propaganda campaigns can't manufacture consent in a day.

craig

--