AEMO boss says nuclear too slow to replace coal, and confirms that “notion of baseload” will not compete with grid powered by cheaper renewables.

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
    3·
    5 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.