Extreme Weather
-
@nzzp said in Extreme Weather:
@taniwharugby said in Extreme Weather:
Just shows how fragile our power infrastructure is
All power infrastructure is fragile on unstable ground (like most of NZ).
This in fairness was pre-winter maintenance, combined with abnormally cold, still conditions. It really highlights the storage issues with intermittent power though ... maybe a hydro dam or two will sneak into the fast track legislation?
As per RNZ:
Transpower has said the problem with supply was due to 700MW of generation being offline due to maintenance.
I know that the gas TCC plant at Stratford is offline until 2025, was munted last year - a loose blade flew through the guts of it.
That is a 375MW plant according to the internet.Last year when the rolling blackout got (incorrectly) applied to North Waikato. There was out of action: the TCC plant (still is), plus the 400MW Huntly unit 5 (which came back online according to the internet in Jan or Feb this year), plus a major hydro plant went out of action short term (but at the wrong time) because some weed got sucked into it.
For this winter, NZ will still be down that 375MW for the entire winter. But compared to last year have gained 174mw of geothermal, plus a 35MW battery, in terms of guaranteed peak power supply. (Have also had 2 solar farms plus 1 and a half wind farms come online in last 6 months)
-
@nzzp my comment re fragility was more the fact pretty much 300k of people in Northland were at the whim of one main line coming North, rather than the land instability.
-
@taniwharugby said in Extreme Weather:
@nzzp my comment re fragility was more the fact pretty much 300k of people in Northland were at the whim of one main line coming North, rather than the land instability.
fair.
There is a narrow isthmus to go over - near Kaiwaka, it's only 13km coast to coast (at the narrowest point).
But it's a long way to run a second line for only 300k people, particularly over the Northland Allocthon (which is some seriously shit ground). Consider a genny? Power outages up north seem more common than not.
Also, Ngawha is online and providing 32MW ... and did I see they were expanding it?
-
@nzzp said in Extreme Weather:
Also, Ngawha is online and providing 32MW ... and did I see they were expanding it?
Expanded to 56MW in 2021 (that 32MW is actually the expansion on the existing 5MW and 15 MW units already there).
There are also possiblity of expanding it by another 32 MW on top of that, with a 5th unit.Top Energy is actually self sufficient, and does export some into the grid southwards. So Northpower (taniwha's lines company) would be getting a bit from the north, and the rest/most over the single grid line from the south.
-
@booboo said in Extreme Weather:
@mariner4life said in Extreme Weather:
Are you doing north of the river? Because it appears th3 fixing of the Cairns to Port section is about to start in earnest
Yeah. That's Main Roads. I'm working for the Council. State Road only goes to Daintree.
Fix the water
-
@Machpants said in Extreme Weather:
Crazy extreme cold in NZ, coldest for decades. Was 7 this morning at home!
Popping home for a golf tour with my Dad soon.
It better piss off!!
-
@mariner4life said in Extreme Weather:
@booboo said in Extreme Weather:
@mariner4life said in Extreme Weather:
Are you doing north of the river? Because it appears th3 fixing of the Cairns to Port section is about to start in earnest
Yeah. That's Main Roads. I'm working for the Council. State Road only goes to Daintree.
Fix the water
Not me ... thankfully.
-
-
@Machpants yeah just seen this posted from Limestone Island looking south
-
@taniwharugby said in Extreme Weather:
@Machpants yeah just seen this posted from Limestone Island looking south
Yeah it doesn't look as bright and clear that took the eye, that's phone camera post processing or the effects of long exposure, but you can see the colours
-
@Machpants said in Extreme Weather:
@taniwharugby said in Extreme Weather:
@Machpants yeah just seen this posted from Limestone Island looking south
Yeah it doesn't look as bright and clear that took the eye, that's phone camera post processing or the effects of long exposure, but you can see the colours
Just been up the local maunga to check it out. Remarkable - ticked off a bucket list for me. Once eyes adjusted it was highly visible, far more so than I expected. Photos wiht long exposure make it look like me on insta with filters on though ... everything turned up to 11.
Incredible. really stoked to see it.
-
-
-
@Rapido said in Extreme Weather:
Missed it. Pretty gutted. Was oblivious to it (inside)at time other people in town were seeing spectacular stuff from their back yards. So, Went for drive out into countryside to see if could see something, but just faint pink glow.
that's pretty much all anyone sees. It is only with photography tha tyou get the spectacular images. FOMO is real, but you didn't miss out I don't think
-
@taniwharugby said in Extreme Weather:
@dogmeat yeah I was surprised at the lack of 'warning' in SM, given whenever there is a meteor shower, eclipse or other similar event it is usually publicised, I didnt see anything, until after.
They can't predict solar storms, there was a warning that went out for electrical effects as soon as it was detected. Then the nerds who knew what it meant slowly spread the word until it hit public consciousness. I knew it was happening, as it started in NH night, but never expected it to make it to NLD!
