You don't have a clue do you?
Please explain how you would operate an aluminium smelter requiring 1,700MW using wind or solar power 24/7.
The new Press Metal aluminium smelter in Sarawak Malaysia, the largest in Asia is expanding further requiring 1,700MW.
Not only would the solar panels require a land area of 1000's sq kilometres the battery storage required would cost $$$Billions.
The greenie renewable ideas are great for a homeowner with a few solar panels on the roof but operating a 24/7 smelter requiring 1,700MW is another thing.
Wake up
No wind or solar powered aluminium smelter anywhere in the world? Could be a message in that.
Matt Howell, the CEO of Tomago Aluminium Smelter, told a few home truths on ABC radio Monday.
To paraphrase in my own words:
1. Aluminium Smelters gobble electrons for breakfast. His smelter uses 10% of the entire electricity supply of the most populous state in Australia (NSW).
2. If power goes out without warning for more than three hours, the smelter pot lines freeze, permanently. The company goes to the wall.
3. The largest battery in the world would keep their smelter going for all of 8 minutes. There is a good reason there are no solar or wind powered aluminium smelters anywhere in the world.
4. The government can ‘t let the market solve anything whilst it is simultaneously destroying the free market by propping up the market failures at the same time.
5. Electricity pricing has suddenly got
very ugly. Their electricity bill may now be subject to price spikes where it could cost them $4 million just to keep one pot line running during that spike. It is as if suddenly gas stations only sold $400 per Litre petrol. (Which would be
$1800/per gallon). What he doesn’t say, but which logically follows from that, is that
heavy industry in most of Australia can no longer get reliable electricity at an affordable price, even with forward contracts. Cry, scream, run with your factory.
6. In Australia, if we achieve “zero coal” we will also achieve “zero heavy manufacturing”.
7. If we want heavy industry, we need a HELE Coal plant. There are hundreds being built around the world, and we are selling our coal to them. How crazy are we?
https://principia-scientific.org/theres-a-reason-there-are-no-wind-or-solar-powered-smelters/
The Tomago aluminium smelter in NSW is only 1/2 the size of Press Metal aluminium in Malaysia.
