Addendum Agenda now included The Auckland Council Auckland Development Committee agenda is up although we are still waiting on the Addendum Agenda that covers the Downtown Shopping Centre Block Redevelopment … Continue reading Auckland Development Committee Agenda is up [updated]
I saw this video link from TVNZ last night (of all places) on Thorium nuclear power generation.
The Wikipedia article around Molten Salt Reactors which use the Thorium fuel cycle can be seen here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molten_salt_reactor
I do recommend watching the video which is around 33 minutes long.
While New Zealand is too small for Thorium nuclear power (although you can make the reactor small enough to fit in a sea container thus portable) and Australia would be the smallest industrial country able to handle a full-scale operation (two reactors each producing 1 Gigawatt (Huntly Coal/Gas fire station produces 1.385 GW when all four boilers and the E3 plant are going full power)) countries like: Germany, USA, UK, Russia, China, and India are best suited for Thorium power.
I do believe Thorium nuclear is part of the solution for a suite of options for both the next stage of power generation away from fossil fuels and conventional uranium nuclear reactor, and trying not to dump all this crap into the atmosphere.
One of the main advantages of Thorium is that the waste can not be used to produce nuclear and thermonuclear (the H-Bomb) weapons. So that sorts the proliferation issue. Also it is believed Thorium reactors can not meltdown like their uranium/plutonium counterparts owing to the physics around the reaction of Thorium. MSR’s are liquid fuel reactors (rather than solid fuel in conventional reactors) that has the fuel intermixed with the coolant. In the case of a “situation” you cut off the fuel/coolant supply to the reactor while dumping the rest of the material already inside the reactor into dump tanks and that is it. No reaction, very little if any latent heat (that even shut down conventional reactors still need to deal with produced from what becomes inert Thorium). As it says in the video to keep a Thorium reactor going you need to constantly add fuel to keep it going (like a fire) while with Uranium you constantly need to keep on top of to stop it racing away even when it is in shut down state inside a nuclear reactor.
From the Americans the answer is at the moment no (check the video) owing to the defence-industrial complex around conventional reactors (see bit about the how the US Navy wanting a reactor design for their subs back in the 50’s) and being able to produce fuel for their nuclear weapon program.
From other countries like China, India and the UK the answer is yes. China is working on MSR thorium type reactors (both solid and the more preferred liquid types) with 2017 a target date for getting an experimental MSR reactor ready for tests before they expand into commercial operation. India which also has some of the largest Thorium deposits in the world is looking at Thorium nuclear generation as the country continues to industrialise and suffers from extensive power blackouts currently.
Time for public submissions From Auckland Council: Draft alcohol policy gets green light for consultation Aucklanders are to have their say on proposals regarding the sale and supply … Continue reading Council Releases Draft Alcohol Policy
This morning I had spotted this photo from the Chair of Orakei Local Board (Desley Simpson) in regards to Selwyn Station:
The proposed location around Selwyn Station is here:
So I sent of a list of questions yesterday to Desley Simpson seeking her comment around Selwyn Station. These were Desley’s comments to which I thank for her responses:
The original request came from Selwyn College during public consultation over the first Orakei Local Board Plan. In looking at the request it became obvious that in addition to providing easy access to Selwyn College such a station, with appropriate service roads and pathways, would provide a much-needed North/South link plus access to the rail public transport network for the large population in the Gowing Drive area and a number of eastern suburbs.
Currently there is a large percentage of our ward that don’t have access to rail
Suburbs south of Kepa Road and north of St Johns Road would have walking/cycling access. Other suburbs such as St Heliers, Glendowie, Kohimaramara, Mission Bay and St Johns would have access to the rail system via feeder bus services that the Orakei Local Board have been advocating for since the first Orakei Local Board Plan.
The Orakei Local Board advocacy has been to get such a project included in the funding allocated to Auckland Transport in the current LTP. At this stage it appears that funds have been allocated to carry out a full evaluation including the development of a Tamaki Drive to Glen Innes walkway/cycleway, so getting through that process is the next stage and we would like to think that this will be completed in the 2014/2015 financial year. Indications are that construction of parts of the walkway/cycleway could be started in the 2014/2015 year.
It’s all a matter of funds being allocated but the Orakei Local Board would like to see construction starting in the current term. Hopefully this is not too optimistic.
We believe that the Meadowbank Station should stay open but maybe not serviced by “express” trains. Express trains haven’t been discussed with AT but are a feature of train services overseas and our train system has to service the combined needs of “underground” and “suburban” train services so cutting out a station that services a growing community doesn’t make a lot of sense.
We don’t have numbers and this will be part of the evaluation process currently being undertaken.
We would disagree about low patronage comment. If you consider the number of people residing in the Gowing Drive area with very poor public transport options and then add in the requirements coming out of Selwyn College and activities at the ASB Centre ( its a sporting and community facility) plus future appropriate new housing developments you don’t have to be too optimistic to see several thousand passengers a day. Rail is expensive anyway but is the backbone of Auckland’s future public transport system and inner city suburbs are surely as entitled to be connected to the rail system as outlying suburbs are .
The Tweet from Transport Blog that gave rise to my last question was this one:
Again I thank you Desley for taking the time to reply to my questions around Selwyn Station, very much appreciated.
At this point in time I continue to support the Orakei Local Board and their push for Selwyn Station. Of course like the Manukau South Rail Link, Selwyn Station will have to jump through the hoops and have a business case on it to evaluate its viability.
Keeping us informed From Auckland Council: Independent Hearings Panel website goes live The Independent Hearings Panel set up by the Ministers of Environment and Conservation to … Continue reading The Unitary Plan Independent Hearings Panel has a Website
ISS Flies Over Something a little bit different to start the week Last night the sky was clear enough to see the International Space Station do a four-minute fly … Continue reading Photo of the “Night”
Photo of the day from last Thursday while at the Auckland Council Budget Committee as the Committee passed through the 2014/2015 Annual Plan
Photo Credit: Councillor Cathy Casey
At least it wasn’t the one where we were yawning after the very long helicopter debate (no disrespect to the Helicopter Trust). To the right of Todd and myself was Bob Dey who produces the Property Report.
My own commentary to the Budget Committee debate can be seen here: Annual Plan Passes, Bitter Debate on Southern Initiative Occurs
All three of us plus New Zealand Herald’s Bernard Orsman will be back on Thursday to report in on the Auckland Development Committee. That particular Committee will be discussing the issues of Queens Wharf, and Queen Elizabeth Square which have both recently popped up in the NZ Herald.
Some Transport Updates And Council wants a Housing Conversation with you Transport Recently I sent some enquiries away on progress of the following: Manukau South Rail Link Pukekohe Electrification … Continue reading Updates and a Conversation
We have a budget Yesterday the Budget Committee and the Governing Body after seven odd hours of debate passed the 2014/2015 Annual Plan. There were some amendments (which I … Continue reading Annual Plan Passes, Bitter Debate on Southern Initiative Occurs
The Budget Committee after hours of debate has passed the Annual Plan 2014/2015 on a vote of 17-4. The Governing Body ratified this around 5 minutes ago.
Full commentary tomorrow
Talking Southern Auckland 
