Enige dagen geleden rapporteerde ik over de totale black-out in de deelstaat Zuid-Australië. Tegenstanders van windenergie wezen met de beschuldigende vinger naar de overmatige afhankelijkheid van windenergie, hetgeen tot instabiliteit en grotere kwetsbaarheid van de stroomvoorziening heeft geleid. Voorstanders van windenergie wezen er op dat de storm en omgewaaide elektriciteitsmasten er de oorzaak van waren.

Een onlangs verschenen (voorlopig) rapport van de ‘Australian Energy Market Operator’ bevestigt de eerste lezing.

Onder de titel, ‘Green Disaster: South Australian Blackout Due To Loss Of Wind Power’, schreef Graham Lloyd voor ‘The Australian’.

A dramatic, sudden loss of wind power generation was the root cause of South Australia’s state wide blackout last week.

And the bulk of damage to high voltage transmission lines that was caused by high winds and paraded as evidence to defend renewables most likely took place after the power had been lost.

These are the major facts contained in the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) preliminary report.

More work is needed to flesh out the forensic, time sequenced analysis that has already been conducted.

But there is enough in the interim report to make the rush to defence of renewables mounted by special interest groups and conflicted state governments since the lights went look foolish. …

Certainly, the power would not have been lost were it not for the big storm.

And seven big towers were damaged in the lead up to the blackout.

But AEMO said data currently available indicates that the damage to the Davenport to Brinkworth 275 kV line on which 14 towers were damaged “occurred following the SA Black System”.

The big event was a 123 MW reduction in output from North Brown Hill Wind Farm, Bluff Wind Farm, Hallett Wind Farm and Hallett Hill Wind Farm at 16.18.09.

Seconds later there was an 86 MW reduction in output from Hornsdale wind farm and a 106 MW reduction in output from Snowtown Two wind farm.

No explanation was given for the reduction in wind farm output.

But the loss of wind farm production put too much pressure on the electricity interconnector with Victoria which cut off supply. ….

Lees verder hier.

australie-windenergie-knipsel

Het betrokken rapport is hier te vinden.

Aangenomen mag worden dat deze totale black-out tot een felle discussie en herbezinning zal leiden van de wenselijkheid van de uitbreiding van windenergie, zowel in Australë als in vele andere landen.

Voor mijn eerdere bijdragen over klimaat en aanverwante zaken zie hierhier, hier, hier en hier.