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We are Not in NORMAL circumstances and it could get worse. Imagine the Hullabaloo if that Happened. Perhaps this will get us a bit weaned off fossil fuel where we can be Held to ransom at the whim and fancy of lots of people and have a cleaner World at the same time. Nev

You couldn't be more Negative. Bell Bay is In Tassy which is Mostly Hydro and the Plant is probably Obsolete. Nev

Had a bit of a reality check at the servo today. The last fill was early in the war at $2.20/litre, today was $3.25. The litres dial was moving very slow and the dollars dial moving very fast at the pump. $130 for 40 litres. There must be a lot of prawn trawlers tied up. A lot of money at today's fuel prices to fork out with no guarantee of a catch.

Australian industry is moving overseas! Bell bay smelter is closing down by the looks of it.Solar is high cost when you look past the generating electricity part.

Re nuclear, We have oodles of solar, wind, and wave... Re cost blowouts.. well, I wouldn't worry - I have never worked on a nuclear plant that didn't have one, and Hinkley Point C, in 2016 prices is going fro an original £18bn to £35bn in 2016 money (about £46bn in today's money). According to Google AI, Australian industry is moving to solar: Again, you can stick to old ways of doing things and hamstring us with high costs. Well done. Making Austalia Competitive Again (MACA).. Maybe that is all we will be able to afford to eat - MACCAs When I first entered the nuclear industry - now 30 years ago, I was all for Australia getting coasstal nuclear power stations. The renewable technology was not really there yet and it made a lot more sense that staying with coal - especially since we bloody well own the resources needed to run the darned thiungs. But we also have abundant sources of renewable energy and the technology has progressed immensly since then. Nuclear is, for Australia, the new fossil fuel. Even in the UK, where the sun is variable at best, wind is being used as is solar. Rooftop solar, before the Iran war, was steadily pickung up and the government ar debatign about whether to make it mandatory for new build properties.

Specifically talking Australia. Yep, remember when that report came out. Pumped hydro also has a round trip efficiency of about 80% which is pretty good.

Air Mass analysis is the key to Climate outcomes and they Move about. Orographic features cause rain events or Frontal activity by Lifting and cooling the Air Mass. Adiabatic expansion. Nev

Oh the poor thing. Should we set up a GoFundMe for her to keep her in caviar and champagne?

In 2017 the ANU identified 22,000 potential pumped hydro sites In Australia. https://arena.gov.au/assets/2018/10/ANU-STORES-An-Atlas-of-Pumped-Hydro-Energy-Storage-The-Complete-Atlas.pdf So despite our flat geography there are 22,000 potential batteries for the huge amount of solar energy we are generating from rooftops and solar farms right now. These are the current projects. Numerous pumped hydro schemes are in development along Australia's east coast, driven by NSW and Queensland's transition to renewables, with key projects including Snowy 2.0 (2,200 MW, NSW), Borumba (2,000 MW, QLD), Pioneer-Burdekin (5,000 MW, QLD), and Phoenix (810 MW, NSW). These projects, targeting completion between 2025–2035, aim to provide large-scale, long-duration storage to firm wind and solar capacity. Key Queensland Projects Borumba Pumped Hydro (2,000 MW/48,000 MWh): Located near Gympie, slated for 2030 completion. Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro (up to 5,000 MW): Proposed near Mackay, touted as a massive long-duration storage project for 2032–2035. Kidston Pumped Storage (250 MW/2,000 MWh): Currently in development, expected in 2025. Mt Rawdon Pumped Hydro (2,000 MW): Planned for the early 2030s. Key New South Wales Projects Snowy 2.0 (2,200 MW/350,000 MWh): Connecting Tantangara and Talbingo reservoirs, expected fully operational by 2028-2029. Phoenix Pumped Hydro (810 MW): Located near Mudgee within the Central-West Orana REZ, expected 2029. Western Sydney Pumped Hydro (700 MW): Located at Lake Burragorang, currently deemed critical infrastructure. Oven Mountain Pumped Hydro (900 MW): Scheduled for 2030. Muswellbrook and Dungowan: Regional projects aiming for 2027-2029 completion. Strategic Regional Potential Mine Conversions: Research indicates significant potential to convert retired mines, such as the Coppabella Mine or pits near the old Liddell Power Station, into pumped hydro sites. Existing Reservoirs: Potential exists to upgrade existing infrastructure like Lake Lyell, Windamere, and Burrendong dams. These projects are often located in renewable energy zones (REZs) to pair with solar and wind, or near high-voltage transmission lines to support grid stability

She's worth? 40 Billion, so she won't starve. She's Australia's Richest Person. Nev

Gina Rinehart has suffered a legal blow, with a court ruling the family of her father's former business partner has the rights to royalties from her Hope Downs mine in WA's Pilbara. Justice Jennifer Smith found both Mrs Rinehart's company Hancock Prospecting and Rio Tinto were jointly liable for the royalties payments to Peter Wright's family's company, Wright Prospecting. But Justice Smith dismissed claims from Wright Prospecting and two of Mrs Rinehart's children that they owned part of Hancock Prospecting's share of the Hope Downs mine. Justice Jennifer Smith dismissed all claims, including by Mrs Rinehart's children and Mr Wright's descendants, to an ownership share in the Hope Downs iron ore mines and tenements, currently operated as a joint venture between Mrs Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting and Rio Tinto. Justice Smith found both Hancock Prospecting and Rio Tinto were jointly liable for the royalties payments to Mr Wright's family's company, Wright Prospecting. ABC News.

Better than a lot of the Others. Murdoch never lets up on him so he MUST be OK.. Nev

If you are referring to the whole world, well, they are building more. Globally, pumped hydro has ~200 GW of installed capacity That represents the vast majority (over 90%) of long-duration energy storage Dozens of new projects are still being built each year So while individual schemes are large and relatively few compared to, say, solar farms, they are widespread and globally significant. 📍 Where are they? 🇨🇳 China (world leader) Largest total capacity (~50+ GW) Massive new projects like Fengning (one of the world’s biggest) Hundreds more under construction 👉 China uses pumped hydro heavily to stabilise its huge wind and solar buildout. 🇯🇵 Japan ~20+ GW installed One of the earliest adopters Built to balance nuclear and now renewables 🇺🇸 United States ~16–17 GW installed Famous example: Bath County (often called the “world’s largest battery”) 🇪🇺 Europe (widely distributed) Major countries: Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Spain Example: Germany has multiple plants used for grid balancing Scotland hosts many of the UK’s biggest schemes 🇦🇺 Australia Existing: Shoalhaven scheme (NSW) Tasmanian hydro system Major new build: Snowy 2.0 (huge expansion project) 🌎 Other notable regions South America – Brazil and Chile expanding capacity India – growing fast to support solar Africa – early-stage development (e.g., South Africa) 👍 Are they successful? Short answer: Yes—very successful, but with caveats ✅ Strengths 1. Proven and reliable Technology has been used for 50+ years Extremely well understood and dependable 2. Grid stabilisation Acts like a giant battery: Stores excess power Releases it when needed 3. Long lifespan Often lasts 50–100 years (much longer than batteries) 4. Scale Can store huge amounts of energy (hours to days) ⚠️ Limitations 1. Geography matters Needs suitable elevation and water Not every location works economically 2. High upfront cost Big civil engineering projects (tunnels, dams) 3. Long build times Projects like Snowy 2.0 take years and can face delays 4. Environmental concerns Land use, water impacts, and community opposition 🤔 Big-picture takeaway Pumped hydro is not new or experimental—it’s the backbone of global energy storage. It’s especially valuable as countries add more wind and solar. While batteries are growing fast, pumped hydro still dominates for large-scale, long-duration storage. 🌍 How much is being built? Around 100+ GW of pumped hydro is already under construction globally The total development pipeline is enormous (~600 GW) Annual additions are rising and could double to ~16.5 GW per year by 2030 👉 That’s not a niche build-out—that’s a major global infrastructure push. 📍 Where is the construction happening? 🇨🇳 China (dominates the boom) By far the biggest builder 200+ GW under construction alone Adding multiple large plants every year 👉 China is essentially treating pumped hydro as core grid infrastructure for renewables. 🇮🇳 India & Asia-Pacific Rapid expansion to support solar growth New multi-GW projects announced (e.g. Maharashtra schemes) Strong growth across Asia-Pacific generally 🇪🇺 Europe Lots of medium-sized projects and upgrades Example: New plant in Norway (Illvatn) under construction Hybrid wind + pumped hydro projects (e.g. Crete) 👉 Europe is modernising older hydro + adding storage rather than building mega-dams. 🇺🇸 United States Several projects in development: Example: Seminoe (900 MW) Many more proposed—potential to more than double capacity 🇦🇺 Australia (your backyard) Active pipeline: Kidston (QLD) nearing completion Snowy 2.0 under construction Multiple NSW & QLD proposals ⚠️ But: Some projects have been delayed or cancelled due to cost blowouts or geology issues (e.g. Pioneer-Burdekin) 🌎 Other regions Spain: dozens of projects progressing (25 advancing in 2025 alone) Africa: early but accelerating growth South America: Chile & Brazil expanding 📈 Why the sudden surge? This is the key shift: 👉 Wind and solar are now cheap—but intermittent 👉 Grids need long-duration storage (hours to days) Pumped hydro is: Proven Long-lasting (50–100 years) Scalable to huge sizes That’s why it’s having what’s been described as a “renaissance” in energy systems Reality check (it’s not all smooth) Even though many are being built: ✔ What’s going well Strong government backing Clear role in renewable grids Massive scale possible ✖ What’s slowing things down Long build times (often 7–10 years) Cost overruns (common in big civil projects) Environmental approvals Site-specific risks (geology can kill projects)

Jeffery Sachs calls Chump a simpleton, bloody funny. About the most accurate term l reckon l've heard, pretty well says it all. Although he says Chump does understand approval ratings and that's what he's people should be using to work him/ he reckons only problem is most of his people are as dumb as he is. Bout sums it l reckon.

My cynical suspicion is the same reason that Australian infrastructure always lags behind the needs of the populace. There are no votes in infrastructure that won't be finished before the next election. Combine that with the desperate attempts to avoid the opposition labelling it "overspending", and winning the next election. This applies to highways, railways, public transport, hospitals, power and water. etc, etc. Maybe also, the public has learned to expect that even after all these years of practice, governments still can't write a decent contract that doesn't allow for endless cost blowouts.

If they are so good(and I love pumped hydro) Why aren't they building more. Ireland has one that fills up at night with coal and then runs with coal during the day. That runs well. Turlogh hill I think. You are right there are other spots around the east coast of Australia, doesn't do the rest of us much good. You think they would have had some geologists and engineers that would have allowed for hitting rock when boring through a mountain in the initial price. I think they under quoted so they could get started and then slug the government more money later on. bet that has never been done before!! Same ting is happening with a lot of transmission projects https://www.afr.com/policy/energy-and-climate/transgrid-inflated-cost-of-running-power-line-underground-farmers-20230718-p5dp2o https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-01/energy-transmission-project-billion-blowout/104983108

Cause he is a tosser

Yes, I remember stamps with Magyar from my childhood stamp-collecting phase. According to AI: Magyar is a relatively common surname in Hungary, acting as an ethnic name that means "Hungarian". It is frequently found across the country, particularly in regions with mixed historical ethnicity. As a surname, it is sometimes the result of historical "Magyarization," where families changed foreign-sounding names to more patriotic ones. Key Facts About the Name "Magyar" Meaning: The word magyar is the autonym for Hungarians and means "Hungarian". Origin: The name stems from the ancient Megyer tribe, which was a dominant clan among the Hungarian tribes in the 9th century. Commonality: It is a common surname in Hungary. Related Names: Similar to other ethnic surnames in Hungary, such as Horváth (Croat) or Német (German). Distribution: Data shows high concentrations of individuals with the surname Magyar in areas like Budapest and regional centers such as Hajdúszoboszló and Kecskemét. While it means "Hungarian," it is important to note that the country itself is called Magyarország (literally "Land of the Magyars") by its inhabitants.

When I was a kid collecting stamps, Magyar Posta was the Hungarian post office. Magyar meant Hungarian. So how come their new guy has that name? Did he change his name to win votes?

Why Pick on Harry? Nev

They ran into terrible rock formations that were unexpected with the Snowy site. It's there for energy Storage and available at short Notice. There's Plenty of suitable sites all along the East Coast of Australia with no need at all to use salt water. You use the water over and over. Nev

Is it all about nulear capability, or is that the magician's diversion from the real reason - profiting from the oil that the USA has under its own land? This video raises that question. The presenter is pretty level-headed and fair. I suggest that you hear what he says and then form your opinion one way or the other. The idea presented heremakes more sense, based on what we know of the economic behaviour of the USA for over 100 years, than political or military security reasons.

Sanctions on the US?

If they're protecting from the little quad motor drones, on poles a few metres high would probably be enough. I don't think fishing nets would stop a diving Shahed.

But the current non space bargain basement things are dropping a lot more than a crowbar. The disposable shahed can carry a 90kg thermobaric explosive. War is evil, but once one starts, how the heck can it be stopped without all the killing and destruction?