SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SCENARIOS & POLICIES

25 March 2010

The only very low carbon electricity ‘sources' that could make significant contributions to Australia's generation by 2025 are demand reduction by energy efficiency, energy conservation and solar hot water and new supply from renewable sources of electricity. By 2030, these sustainable energy ‘sources', together with gas, could possibly replace conventional coal power, while creating several times more jobs in Australia than would be lost in coal mining and coal power. The barriers are no longer primarily technological or even economic, when the external costs of fossil fuels are taken into account. New government policies, that could achieve the transition to a sustainable energy system, are outlined.

Dr Mark Diesendorf is Deputy Director of the Institute of Environmental Studies at UNSW. Since his original training in theoretical physics and applied mathematics, his interests expanded into interdisciplinary approaches to energy. He was a principal research scientist in CSIRO, where he led a research team on the integration of wind power into electricity grids, and more recently Professor of Environmental Science at UTS. He was co-founder and president of the original Australasian Wind Energy Association and co-founder and vice-president of the former Sustainable Energy Industries Council of Australia. His latest books are ‘Greenhouse Solutions with Sustainable Energy' and ‘Climate Action: A campaign manual for greenhouse solutions'.

THE INTEGRAL FAST REACTOR (IFR)

29 April 2010

The Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) is a liquid metal-cooled fast reactor using metal fuel, integrated with an on-site fuel recycling plant. The IFR was developed in the 1980s at the Argonne National Laboratory in the USA, and was chosen in a 2002 US Dept of Energy study as the preferred design from 19 other Generation IV reactors put forward for future development. Its advantages over Light Water Reactors are: high efficiency in its use of uranium; a high level of passive safety; the ability to breed more fissile material than it consumes, or burn up excess plutonium; and much lower nuclear proliferation risks. The IFR integrated with on-site pyro-processing of spent fuel can recycle/burn up transuranium isotopes, thus giving much less high level waste than conventional LWRs and reprocessing plant. The lower toxicity waste is also safer for storage in an underground repository. A commercial version of the IFR (S-PRISM), has been designed by GE-Hitachi to be built in a factory and transported to a site in 311 MWe modules, which can be installed in multiple units for higher power outputs. No IFRs are currently constructed, but 20 more conventional fast reactors have had 390 reactor-years of operation since the 1950s. In this presentation, Dr Hardy reviews the IFR and other developmental fast reactors being constructed in several countries.

Dr Clarence Hardy has had 35 years experience in senior positions in the UK, USA and Australian nuclear industries, including 20 years as Chief of Division and Chief Scientist at the AAEC's Lucas Heights Laboratories. He has two doctorates in science, has authored over 100 scientific publications and three books including a history of the AAEC published in 1999. He is Secretary of the Australian Nuclear Association (ANA) and Immediate Past-President of the Pacific Nuclear Council, representing some 60,000 nuclear scientists/engineers in the Pacific region. He has also given over 100 invited talks to technical/non-technical groups in Australia. He is a Director of two nuclear companies and also manages a consulting business.

THE FUTURE OF COAL

27 May 2010

The Ideals: After some 50 years and billions of dollars of research, alternate forms of energy generation have yet to provide a solution that can compare to the low cost of millions of tonnes of readily accessible coal. More recent developments in Coal Seam Gas (CSG) and Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) are in early stages of commercialism but are yet to prove to meet the scale of current coal-fired power generation. The Facts: Recent discoveries of large coal deposits in Mongolia, Indonesia and Mozambique have been met with enthusiasm by the coal industry which continues to grow at a significant rate to meet the world's ever increasing appetite for energy and steel. These large scale deposits will ensure that coal will remain the cheapest form of energy for a long time to come. The Challenge: The increasing effort to reduce pollution caused by coal-fired power stations is being seriously challenged by the need to provide electricity to 3.6 billion people and this number is expected to grow to 5 billion by 2030.

Patrick Hanna is a UNSW Applied Geology graduate with 30+ years experience as a consultant in the coal industry. His work has taken him to most of the major coal producing countries where he has conducted Exploration Programs and Due Diligence studies for the next generation of coal projects. In recent times, Pat has been involved in mine development studies, infrastructure and coal transport studies, project finance, as well as coal marketing. His has a keen interest in new technology for exploration, mining, transport, power generation, steel making and clean coal technology. He is a Fellow of the AusIMM, a Chartered Professional Member of the Minerals Industry Consultants Association, and has held the positions of Chairman of the Illawarra and Southern Queensland Branches of The AusIMM, Councillor of the AusIMM, and a member of the JORC Committee and the Science Faculty Visiting Committee for the University of Wollongong.

THE SMART ELECTRICITY GRID

24 June 2010

In its 2009 budget, the Australian Government allocated funding of $100m to a commercial-scale Smart Grid demonstration project, marking a change in emphasis from an earlier focus on so-called "Smart Meters". This presentation looks at what a Smart Grid involves, what Smart Meters provide and how the two fit together. It will discuss the major wave of modernisation that is looming for the electricity industry as it grapples with the challenges posed by rising energy demands and environmental concerns over an industry that generates a third of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions. It will outline the sort of issues posed by the photovoltaic arrays that are now proliferating on rooftops, and look at the opportunities as well as problems that can be anticipated as electric vehicles become more common. It includes thoughts on the sort of developments that might be expected in tomorrow's "smart appliances". The key to Smart Grid progress lies in introducing sensing, communications and information processing technology to the grid, but will the benefits outweigh the costs? This talk aims to provide some of the answers to these questions.

Robin Eckermann is widely acknowledged as a pioneer in the Australian broadband industry, having led the establishment of TransACT's $250m fibre-to-the-kerb network in Canberra 10 years before the National Broadband Network was conceived. Since retiring as TransACT's Chief Architect in 2003, Robin has been working on fibre-to-the-home projects around Australia, and it is his interest in communications as a vital foundation for the next generation of electricity network that has driven his involvement with Smart Grids in Australia. Robin has given numerous presentations throughout Australia and in many overseas countries on themes relating to advanced broadband, the environment and smart grids. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Canberra and a Director of Smart Grid Australia (representing the CURRENT Group).

SYDNEY'S DESALINATION PLANT

29 July 2010

Sydney's 250 ML/day desalination plant was constructed under the NSW Govern-ment's Metropolitan Water Plan in response to a marked reduction in available water from existing rain dependant sources. The plant uses reverse osmosis to produce drinking water from seawater drawn from the Tasman Sea and is powered with renewable energy. The drinking water is then pumped 18 kilometres and connected into the Sydney water distribution system at Erskineville. This presentation will discuss the decision to build the plant and some of the technology used in the plant and the water distribution infrastructure. The environment has been an important consideration throughout the project and has led to some world leading investigation into the plant interface with the marine environment. It will also discuss the procurement approaches used and the benefits they provided. Finally it will review the progress of performance testing undertaken and compare the achievements against contract targets.

Mike Watts is an electrical engineer and has been involved in the water industry for over 30 years in Sydney Water. Notable roles include design manager for amplification of sewerage treatment facilities and SCADA systems, project manager for upgrade of Bondi sewage treatment plant, mechanical and electrical contracts manager for Sydney's deep-water ocean outfalls and his current role for the desalination plant. Mike has been involved with this project from the feasibility study in 2004, and initially provided technical overview and procurement advice. As the project moved into implementation, he managed the development of a "Blue Print" concept design and for the last three years has managed the Design Build Operate & Maintain contracts for the plant.

MODERN WASTE MANAGEMENT

26 August 2010

Modern Urban Solid Waste Streams based on the continuous extraction, conversion, consumption and disposal of the earth's non-renewable resources is an unsustainable/ wasteful transitional phenomenon which simply cannot continue in its current form, if for no other reason that the earth's resources are finite. The current wasteful situation is "transitional" because the earth's resources cannot support even another 10-20yrs at the current usage rates. So major changes are inevitable, and present challenges and opportunities for the "problem solving" engineering disciplines. This presentation initially focuses on the problem: what these resources are, how they are currently treated and why it cannot continue. Then, from experience and extended logic, a picture of a sustainable resource-use economic model focusing on the necessary material pathways is outlined in some detail. Finally, many of the essential systems, infrastructure and techno­logies necessary to achieve sustainable resource-use outcomes are explained and sketched to provide some potential thought starters for the "problem solving" engineering disciplines.

Mark Glover commenced a career in architecture in the UK, then spent the 70's as a demolition contractor in NZ knocking down non-earthquake compliant buildings and reclaiming the materials. He then became a national contractor in the commercial building sector in Australia, which honed his skills for completing projects on time and budget. Mark established Eco Waste Pty Ltd in 1989 as a consultancy in sustainable resource reuse with specialist interests in waste management/resource recovery solutions. He also founded Southern Oil Re-Refineries (SOR) at Wagga NSW in 1995, which is the most advanced used lube oil re-refinery in Australia. After selling SOR in 2004, Mark established LOREX Invest­ments developing next generation Used Oil Re-Refinery projects in USA, EU and SE Asia. In addition, Eco Waste has spun off Renewed Carbon Pty Ltd, a global vanguard company commercialising biomass pyrolysis projects to produce a full range of biochar products for industry/agriculture. Mark is Chair of the Strategic Advisory Committee (SAC) of the Waste Manage­ment Association of Australia (WMAA), the peak association for waste management professionals in Australia.

MARALINGA AND DISPOSAL OF NUCLEAR WASTE

30 September 2010

In 1956/57 Britain exploded 7 atomic bombs at Maralinga in South Australia, and in 1962/63 they exploded another 15 bombs in a manner which prevented an atomic explosion. The result was plutonium spread over hundreds of square kilometres. In 1993, the Federal Government embarked on a $108 million project to clean up the site. The most contaminated soil was scraped up and buried in a very large trench. Twenty-one pits containing tonnes of debris were to be treated by an in situ vitrification process. In a bid to save money, the vitrification process was abandoned after only 11 of the 21 pits were treated. The 10 remaining pits were exhumed and the debris plus the vitrified mass from the pits already treated, was buried in a shallow trench. In April 2000, Senator Minchin declared the site was clean and safe and could be returned to the traditional owners. The project was claimed to be world's best practice. The site was eventually returned to the aborigines in late 2009. The project has attracted considerable criticism, and this presentation compares the practices adopted for Maralinga with proposals for the disposal of nuclear waste at the proposed national nuclear waste dump.

Alan Parkinson is a retired engineer with experience on nuclear projects in the UK, Canada, America and Australia. In 1989, he helped develop options for the clean-up of the Maralinga lands. In 1993, he was appointed a member of the Minister's Maralinga Rehabilitation Technical Advisory Committee (MARTAC), and the Government's representative overseeing the whole project. In January 1998, he was removed for questioning the path the Department intended to take in the final part of the work. He became an adviser to the Aborigines and maintained close contact with the project. In April 2000, he publically criticised the project, and has been interviewed many times on radio and TV, including three fifteen minute talks with Robyn Williams in the Ockham's Razor series on ABC Radio National.

PORTABLE BATTERIES & THE ENVIRONMENT

28 October 2010

Portable batteries are used in an ever increasing number of electronic devices, and constitute a product group with one of the largest growth markets worldwide. This presentation will discuss the differences in the various battery technologies and within the technologies. It will cover the major manufacturers behind the big brands, major areas of usage including hybrid vehicles, the expanding market forecast plus the difficulties these new markets bring. The potential of batteries to store clean energy makes them ideal for consumer applications. However, there is a need for consumers to be more aware of the technologies and how they can impact on users and the environment as a whole. The global brands are generally keeping consumers in the dark regarding the resources needed for the newer battery technologies and their resource recovery/safe disposal, and this presentation discusses these important environmental issues.

Geoff Schaper is Manager of the Battery Products Division at Master Instruments Pty Ltd, a privately owned Australian company who now represents the world's largest manufacturers of portable batteries. Master Instruments is also one of the largest battery pack manufacturers in our region, as well as offering the largest range of portable batteries in the southern hemisphere. Geoff trained as an automotive engineer then moved into systems engineering on projects such as the first microwave transmitters for Channel 9 on the MLC building, installing a new master control in the concert hall of the opera house for which his father designed much of the sound systems, and emergency evacuation systems in some major Sydney hotels (The Regent and The Intercontinental). Geoff then became the Personal Assistant to the Managing Director of Varta Batteries Pty Ltd, where he managed the SW Pacific area for the company before joining Master Instruments in 1987.

CHINA'S AMAZING BRIDGES

View spectacular photos of China's amazing bridges.