power lines, page-15

Bohlsen,

I have also been pondering on the possible use of room temperature superconductors for several years. It was the research flavour of the time in the late 80s. Desert temperatures are not exactly the same as room temperatures. If it could be made to work the total energy savings over the life of a transmission line would be considerable. I raised this with Gerry Grove-White at a meeting last November. He was a bit taken aback at the suggestion but then came up with the latest figures he had just received that the line loss to the NEM network access at Port Augusta would be only 5%. It seems too small but that is what he said.

If one could justify having one superconductor transmission line from the Cooper Basin it would really put geothermal energy on the world map. The publicity would make it the clear 'new energy' of the future, with governments everywhere advocating it.

Bernard. The transmission lines will probably be steel cored aluminium cables. Hopefully the electrolysis of the metal can be done here in Australia. China also has vast reserve potential of geothermal energy. Its time there will come.

Juke