DEAR News Of The Area,

FURTHER to the letter from Peter Dingle about the vital need for Australia to seriously pursue the construction of nuclear power plants, it is worth noting that there are currently 440 nuclear plants across 32 countries world-wide, with a further 57 under construction in 17 countries.

These countries include oil-rich nations such as Russia and the UAE as well as ‘developing’ or third-world countries such as Bangladesh, Egypt and Pakistan.

I wonder what it is that about one-third of all the countries on earth know about the future power needs of their citizens that those governing this country don’t know?

As Peter points out, while “green” power is all very well, it is just not possible to produce any power from solar panels between sunset and sunrise, and wind turbines cannot operate when the wind is less than 20 km/h or more than about 80 km/h.

Further, hydro power cannot be relied on in a country such as Australia where extended droughts are common and probably increasing.

Finally, while it is indeed possible to store ‘surplus’ power in batteries, I have seen no expert opinion on how many thousands of tonnes of batteries would be required to ensure 27 million Australians have access to all the power they need 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Regards,
Martyn YEOMANS,
Sapphire Beach.