Thread: Future of the Australian Electricity Market

Originally Posted by ian

an open-cut coal mine ??





or are they mining some other commodity?

would say coal. Any open cut mine for any mineral tends to look like a moonscape and a blot upon the earth.

Our Plant Manager in the early days used to point out how much space a solar farm takes up (he doesn't peddle that line much nowadays): It is a lot. However he conveniently neglected to mention that our power station sits on 10,000 acres. This also incorporates our mine, which is owned by the station and only supplies the power station. In the mining phase the land looks much like the picture Bob posted, but not as large. We have to rehabilitate the land to it's original state once mining has been completed in that section. in accordance with our mining lease. Also much of the land continues to be farmed or grazed and in some instances by the original owners who have leased it back.

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

would say coal. Any open cut mine for any mineral tends to look like a moonscape and a blot upon the earth.

Our Plant Manager in the early days used to point out how much space a solar farm takes up (he doesn't peddle that line much nowadays): It is a lot. However he conveniently neglected to mention that our power station sits on 10,000 acres. This also incorporates our mine, which is owned by the station and only supplies the power station. In the mining phase the land looks much like the picture Bob posted, but not as large. We have to rehabilitate the land to it's original state once mining has been completed in that section. in accordance with our mining lease. Also much of the land continues to be farmed or grazed and in some instances by the original owners who have leased it back.

Regards
Paul

Paul has there been any discussion with the rehabilitation about the disturbance of the natural water table ? I raised this when doing a mine tour in the Hunter and was only given a blank look as a reply

I would've thought a coal bearing ore would have no water table.

That stuff is crazy porous.

When we were down the coast (Depot Beach, NSW) my brother and I used to marvel at the way the oils would leach from the very cliffs and the seam of coal (about 10ft up the cliff face) would pour water out after a storm.

Originally Posted by BobL

Whats this called then?
Attachment 500579

Yeah, i know.

But most of the stuff we require for electricity comes from those type of mines both coal, iron, copper and yeah lithium for batteries like this one in W.A




Its hard to say the a coal mine is bad, but lithium open cuts are ok. Its just all part of the process.

I cant remember if it was in this thread or not, but i Remeber seeing somewhere that there is an idea of turning open cut mines into pumped hydro storage.

And just filling a heap of the under ground mines with power station fly ash slurry, almost like back filling with concrete

Originally Posted by Beardy

Paul has there been any discussion with the rehabilitation about the disturbance of the natural water table ? I raised this when doing a mine tour in the Hunter and was only given a blank look as a reply

I can't answer about the Hunter although I was involved in collecting surface water data for Liddell in the 1960s, but it was certainly a consideration when Loy Yang was being planned. One interesting outcome of the study was that extraction from groundwater would cause subsidence, and hence a change in the slope of Traralgon Ck., so that the flow that had previously had a 50 year average recurrence interval would have a 25 year ARI. (Sorry about using the old terminology - I believe % probability is now used, but sometimes the old terminology is more illustrative.)

Originally Posted by AlexS

I can't answer about the Hunter although I was involved in collecting surface water data for Liddell in the 1960s, but it was certainly a consideration when Loy Yang was being planned. One interesting outcome of the study was that extraction from groundwater would cause subsidence, and hence a change in the slope of Traralgon Ck., so that the flow that had previously had a 50 year average recurrence interval would have a 25 year ARI. (Sorry about using the old terminology - I believe % probability is now used, but sometimes the old terminology is more illustrative.)

Interesting, I hadn’t considered that aspect.
I like the old terminology better as it better represents the facts, using % is a great way to misrepresent a situation and often used to bolster a position or viewpoint.

Originally Posted by Beardy

Paul has there been any discussion with the rehabilitation about the disturbance of the natural water table ? I raised this when doing a mine tour in the Hunter and was only given a blank look as a reply

Beardy

As part of the lease agreement, a small creek has been re-directed. i saw it just before the water was diverted and it appears to have been done extremely well with three level to accomodate flood times and prevent any overflow into areas that would not normally have been inundated. The recreation included placing fallen trees to replicate they way this small creek was.

The mine itself is shallow with the coal bearing seams being thin mainly so underground water is not severely impacted.

Regards
Paul

[QUOTE=Bushmiller;2253450]Beardy

As part of the lease agreement, a small creek has been re-directed. i saw it just before the water was diverted and it appears to have been done extremely well with three level to accomodate flood times and prevent any overflow into areas that would not normally have been inundated. The recreation included placing fallen trees to replicate they way this small creek was.

The mine itself is shallow with the coal bearing seams being thin mainly so underground water is not severely impacted.

As to the Upper Hunter between Singleton and Muswellbrook I am afraid we have a basket case. This is the classic case of greed over environment. When i drive down that section of the New England Highway I glance out the car window and see an abomination of the first order.

If you go behind the highway, it gets worse!



Regards
Paul

Storage battery production to create renewable energy solution and jobs in Sydney'''s west - ABC News

A slight but brief thread drift, if you may. Knowing the interest and involvement of some here in the coal industry, the following may be of interest.

Sunday 19th September 2021 will be the centenary of the explosion at the Mt Mulligan coal mine in Nth Qld. 75 men died in what is Queensland's greatest mine disaster. A commemoration will be held at Mt Mulligan but I think it's booked out. I believe there are activities planned in Mareeba. More information is available if you search on Facebook for Mulligan Centenary.

OK, back to normal service.

Mt Mulligan Mine 1921- Mining Accident Database

Originally Posted by Beardy

Storage battery production to create renewable energy solution and jobs in Sydney'''s west - ABC News

Battery storage solutions are getting VERY exciting.

Originally Posted by woodPixel

Battery storage solutions are getting VERY exciting.

Wonder how much they are?

I am a little sceptical of reports that do not nail down details, even if they are only theoretical. There was no mention of cost or what sizes are proposed. That is rather important!

Regards
Paul

As the subject of storage batteries has raised it's head again, I went looking for the Ambri battery that Chris Parks mentioned in post #31 (or thereabouts). It seemed the most likely to gain traction, but I cannot find too much on further development. At the time, a work colleague was quite taken by the product and went looking to see how he could invest, but it did not appear to be publicly listed.

Perhaps somebody has more information on development.

Regards
Paul