Energy choice obvious
THE letter from Steve Versveld, promoting the alternative energy solution for the South African energy crisis – published in the Wednesday edition – once again, as with so many similar opinions expressed previously, completely missed the need for base load electricity generation.
This is only available from thermal or nuclear power stations on a continuous basis, and the latter is the way to go now that the very safe thorium fuelled reactors are being commercialised. They also do not take into account that these alternative energy sources are scattered around the country and that connecting these to the distribution grids can cause overloading, and will require upgrading at huge cost.
As we all know, there are times when the wind does not blow and the sun does not shine. The hydro option for major power generation is limited to a few geographic locations where there are rivers with large water flows.
The only two options for base load electrical energy generation are either conventional thermal power stations, which burn mostly coal and emit many millions of tons of carbon dioxide a year, or uranium, uranium/thorium or majority thorium-fuelled nuclear power stations.
The good news for South Africa is that thorium is mined in the Western Cape by a local company which is part of a consortium developing small reactors that could be available sometime in the near future.
These are based on the pebble bed reactor and one wonders why the South African government abandoned this development when it had such a future.
These reactors will eliminate the risk of meltdown, operate at atmospheric pressure, produce less dangerous nuclear waste and no weapon-grade nuclear material.
Estimated fuel consumption is that one ton of thorium is equivalent to 200 tons of uranium or 3 500 000 tons of coal – therefore, the choice is obvious.
Cost comparisons presented at a recent African Utility week symposium (average utilised costs in US dollars a megawatt hour) were as follows: Thorium-83, Conventional coal-95, Solar PV 210, Wind 97.
All this information is available on the internet and one hopes that the obvious and only generation technology for this country and the world is chosen and developed soon.