Battery storage, however, appears to be the most likely solution for South Australia, and probably a lot cheaper than building another inter-connector. In Germany, battery maker Younicos says it can provide the ancillary services for the entire grid at a much reduced cost.
Another possibility is to install solar towers with molten salt storage. These plants, operating in Spain for five years, and now being built in north and south America, and northern and southern Africa, provide “base load” or dispatchable power, and at far less cost than the other clean energy alternative, nuclear.
And they will not require the massive grid upgrade and extension that a nuclear plant would require. Indeed, it should be pointed out that South Australia is using the interconnector a lot less than it did before wind and solar.
TLDR: Renewable and battery uptake is happening TODAY at a rate exceeding forecasts. SA will be coal free by the end of the year. Renewable and storage solutions are far more competitive at 1/10th of the cost of overhauling expensive/aged transmission and distribution systems.
GMM Price at posting:
29.5¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
