A large-scale temporary power solution is being considered, as South Australia struggles to ensure its energy security.
A 250 MW ship-based power station is under consideration as a solution to the crisis for the Australian state, which has seen a lot of investment in renewable power over recent years, while old fossil stations were retired.
The Turkish ship could be operational by the end of the year for less than the $360m budgeted for a new state-owned gas-fired power plant of the same capacity.
The ship-based plant would plug into the high-voltage grid near the 479 MW Pelican Point power station, which returns to full capacity on July 1.
A second option would be for a 125 MW Powership at Outer Harbor and another of the same size anchored off Port Augusta, plugging into the grid near the site of the defunct Northern power station.
The Powership fleet can operate on natural gas, liquid natural gas or heavy fuel oil and it is likely the ship would be leased until a permanent plant was built.
The Istanbul-based firm, Karpowership, has installed the barge or ship-mounted power plants in Ghana, Iraq, Lebanon, Indonesia, Zambia, and Mozambique.
A national electricity market operator report released this week reveals a government-backed battery, temporary generators and every power station in the state must be up and running in tandem to prevent blackouts in the state this summer.
Adelaide Now online reports that opposition politicians are critical of the move, saying that using such ships, typically sent to war ravaged regions, shows the government’s poor decision making on power policy, linking it to the increase in residential electricity bills.
Opposition Leader Steven Marshall said “Had (the government) invested just A$8m a year in keeping the Northern Power Station open South Australians would have been shielded from these shocking electricity price rises.”
Power plants on ships might be wise for a short term emergency solution. As a long term solution, it is not that wise. The expected life-time of a ship is not more than 25 – 30 years (http://www.shippipedia.com/life-cycle-of-a-ship/). The life cycle cost of the ship will add to the life cycle cost of the power generation facitity on board the ship, and thereby increase the total costs relative to a power facility on firm ground. Building things on firm ground is much wiser as a long term solution.
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. Did nybody REALLY not see something like this coming?
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Waiting for the climate change.
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May be Adni ship with Turkish registration and powered by Queensland coal.
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Meanwhile, see Paullitely.com for details on why the climate is not cooperating with predictions
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