bhp to use half of states electricity, page-7

There are some other unspoken positives in this for GDY... As they are located in a state with net power imports, by linking into the grid there, they can ramp up production of MW for a long period of time with lesser transmission line costs than otherwise:

1. Ramp up to meet BHP additional requirements
2. Pump into SA grid to make state power 'neutral'
3. Continue to ramp up SA production until state interlinks are at capacity OUTBOUND

Only at this point is more capacity required to the populous states (NSW,QLD).

Someone mentioned the question of how far Innamicka is from Olympic Dam, about 500km from my google map reckoning. A long way indeed but closer than coming into NSW/QLD overland, and I am guessing not quite the same local council approval process for big high tension lines :-).

BTW, from memory was not the transmission line cost the main contribution to the cost per kW/h compared to fossil fuels ?? Having redundant paths out of Innamicka through SA and then NSW/QLD also makes supply security sense.

I also believe BHP Billiton would be WELL AWARE of GDY's progress.... They will use the PR machine to it's full potential when the word 'proven' becomes fact (1MW of light globes).