Sugar Mills turn Power Stations
Those who saw the movie "Power of Community- How Cuba Overcame Peak Oil" (Movie Night I) will remember that as an emergency measure, some of Cuba's sugar mills were converted to power stations during the country's forced oil shortage.
Yesterday on ABC, Landline featured a segment about an initiative by NSW Sugar Milling Co-op.
"A $150 million green energy project called cogeneration... Two sugar mills have been turned into two mini power stations that will produce electricity and heat by burning cane residue."
Sugar mills have been producing their own power for the last 50 years, but the process can been made more efficient by 10-fold so that electricity can be exported to the grid. After cutting the cane green, the cane trash, bagasse, as well as forest waste is burnt to generate power.
"The two cogeneration plants are in the commissioning phase now and are set to fire up in a few months. When they start sending power to the grid the two generators will supply the electricity needs of Lismore, Casino, Ballina, Byron Bay and Murwillumbah." Converting the mills has cost $75 million each.
Read the full transcript at www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2006/s2158182.htm
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February 10th, 2008
Re: Sugar Mills turn Power Stations
Well I guess it is good that they won't be burning the trash but it still doesn't take into account the fertilizers used to grow the cane, the amount of water needed, the machinery used to harvest the cane, and how much trash will they need to power the power station. Will that mean they will need to clear more land to grow more sugar cane to make more power. The idea that photo electric solar panels are unreliable, I don't totally agree with. We have solar hot water panels and I don't think we have ever not had enough hot water for four people and the North Cost of NSW would have similar sunshine to us. - In my view I think the 150 million would have been better spent subsiding household with photo electric solar panels. Some incidental info to finish off. Did you know Australia has more kangaroos then Austria but Austria has more solar powered electricity then Australia.
Ann
February 11th, 2008
Re: Sugar Mills turn Power Stations
It's progress, Ann. If that $150 million was dedicated to something else, the waste from those mills would still be just that- waste. We have to choose "battles we can win," to use an unfortunate war metaphor. It'd be naive to think that any amount of protesting and letter-writing would make the sugar industry go away, as long as there is a demand for sugar. When industries make a step in the right direction they have to be applauded and encouraged to do more. "You attract more flies with honey than vinegar". As we discussed at the meeting last night, our suggestions will carry more weight and our sustainability efforts will be much more successful if we find common ground with the people, businesses and industries that challenge us.
Last year I interviewed Rob Hopkins, who started the Transition Network in the UK (parallel to the Relocalization Network, of which SustainaBundy is a part). His efforts have been very successful. He said, "I think our sort of mindset in the environmental movement is a sort of bunker mentality that somewhere there’s a smoke-filled room where people are working out how to scupper what we’re trying to do, and I don’t think that’s really a concern. Because I think at this stage the people who are decision makers and so on are desperate for good ideas, and my experience has been completely the opposite. That actually local government and national government are absolutely desperate, and the Transition Town concept really fits right in there, because it is modelling solutions on the ground, it is creating a degree of engagement which politicians can only dream of, generally. But also it’s something which avoids from the outset any sense of them and us. We’re not looking at anybody to blame, everybody’s in the same boat, and actually what we need is Lester Brown’s concept of a wartime mobilization. We need to be bringing together disparate groups who have never had that much to do with each other before. And that really requires a lot of humility and no finger-pointing, and that I think that is something that we’ve been doing quite well." You can read the entire transcript here.
http://globalpublicmedia.com/transcripts/2790.
As for solar, keep in mind that solar electrical energy (PV panels) and solar thermal energy (hot water panels) are two very different things- there is an article by Dean about that very topic in the 2008 SustainaBundy Directory and Guide. And while a solar hot water set up is very "forgiving" to things like clouds and shade, PV panels are much less so and their productivity can be greatly reduced by clouds and shade.
And finally, if a pile of money were to become available for subsidising renewable energies, I'd much rather see it benefit the largest number of people possible by being dedicated to renewables on schools, hospitals, fire, police, water and other community services than on single family homes. It's hard to break the "me" mindset, but we're making small strides in that direction every day.
Andi