Whilst wave power has merit, it is not likely to be the way of the future large-scale generation of electricity.

The strongest contender for clean, green power should be hot fractured rock geothermal generation.

HFR geothermal has the following credentials:

1. Zero emissions;

2. Base load generation available 24/7;

3. No effect on other ecosystems;

4. Does not use non-renewable resources such as coal or uranium;

5. Does not burn anything – does not use up oxygen;

6. Uses existing technology for turbines and generators;

7. Uses existing oil drilling rig technology;

8. Closed cycle system that requires minimal water;

9. Current calculations put the cost of generation at $40/mwh or

4 cents/kwh (a unit on your bill). This is very competitive with coal-fired costs;

10. Australia has massive reserves. The best commercially acceptable reserves alone approximate the equivalent of 5,500,000 million barrels of oil (at 250 degrees C, 1 cubic kilometre of HFR is equal to 40 million barrels of oil. Compare this with Australia’s current oil reserves of 2.9 billion barrels Note: the US definition of 1 billion is 1000 million). The thermal resource in the Cooper Basin alone is equal to 50 billion barrels of oil;

11. This technology is being used in France, Japan, Sweden and the USA. It currently generates about 9000mw.

12. It has far higher energy density than solar, wind, wave or tidal power; and

13. Beyond doubt, it is far superior to coal or nuclear.

Don Woods

KOOTINGAL