The head of the Australian energy market operator AEMO, Daniel Westerman, has rejected nuclear power as a way to replace Australia’s ageing coal-fired power stations, arguing that it is too slow and too expensive. In addition, baseload power sources are not competitive in a grid dominated by wind and solar energy anyway.

  • JohnDClay
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    4 months ago

    That’s really really expensive unless you already have natural upper and lower reservoirs.

      • JohnDClay
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        4 months ago

        Based on some numbers I looked up a couple of years ago:

        LiPo 15¢/Wh

        Flywheel 15¢/Wh

        Compressed air 12¢/Wh

        Pumped hydro 11¢/Wh

        I’ll try to dig up the sources when I get home, but the cost advantage isn’t too large, so digging your own reservoirs would put it as more expensive.

      • Sethayy
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        4 months ago

        Just cause lithium ion is pretty subsidied and quite energy dense